The Wangdue Phodrang Dzong was one of Bhutan's most striking fortresses, a long, narrow building riding the spine of a steep ridge above the meeting of the Puna Tsang Chhu and Tang Chhu rivers. In June 2012 a butter-lamp fire spread through the wooden interior in a few hours and reduced almost the entire dzong to charcoal. None of the resident monks were hurt, but most of the centuries-old murals and statues were lost.
Reconstruction has been under way since 2014 using traditional materials and techniques — stone, rammed earth, hand-cut timber. As of recent years the dzong is largely rebuilt externally, but interior consecration is ongoing and access is limited. Even the exterior view, from the road or the bridge below, is dramatic.