A government arts and crafts school in southern Thimphu where students train in the 13 traditional arts of Bhutan. Visitors can walk through the studios and watch students at work: painting thangkas, carving wood, casting bronze, embroidering silk, or weaving. The level of skill on display — from first-year students to advanced practitioners — is impressive. There is no hard-sell; students are working and generally happy to explain what they are doing. One of the most authentic craft experiences available in the capital. Open weekday mornings.
National Institute for Zorig Chusum
Government school teaching the 13 traditional arts of Bhutan
A story
Zorig Chusum refers to Bhutan's 13 traditional arts and crafts — painting, carving, sculpture, casting, embroidery, weaving, and seven others — which the government has actively worked to preserve since the 1970s. Students at this institute follow a four-to-six year curriculum in whichever of the 13 crafts they specialise in, and are supported by government stipends throughout their training.