Sights in Paro Dzongkhag
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Paro (Rinpung) Dzong
The Paro Dzong is one of Bhutan's most impressive and well-known dzongs, and perhaps the finest example of Bhutanese architecture you'll see. The massive buttressed walls that tower over the town are visible throughout the valley.
The dzong's correct name, Rinchen Pung Dzong (usually shortened to Rinpung Dzong), means 'fortress on a heap of jewels'. In 1644 Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal ordered the construction of the dzong on the foundation of a monastery built by Guru Rinpoche. The fort was used on numerous occasions to defend the Paro valley from invasions by Tibet. The British political officer John Claude White reported that in 1905 there were old catapults for throwing…
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Paro Sunday Market
Paro's weekly vegetable market isn't very large but it has a more traditional feel than Thimphu's weekend market and is a fine introduction to some of Bhutan's unique local products. You'll see strings of chugo (dried yak cheese), either white (boiled in milk and dried in the sun) or brown (smoked). The fruit that looks like an orange egg is actually fresh husky betel nut, imported from India. The jars of pink paste contain lime, which is ingested with the betel nut. There are also exotic-looking ferns, powdered juniper incense, squares of dried jellied cow skin known as khoo (a local snack!) and slabs of datse, the cheese used in almost every Bhutanese dish. The market…
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Ugyen Pelri Thang
The secluded wooded compound of the Ugyen Pelri Palace was built by the Paro penlop, Tshering Penjor, in the early 1900s and is now a residence of the queen mother, thus closed to the public. It is designed after Guru Rinpoche's celestial paradise, Zangto Pelri, and is a beautiful example of Bhutanese architecture. For views from the palace from above, head to the dzong.
On the road beside Ugyen Pelri Palace are five square chortens that were built in memory of the first king of Bhutan, Ugyen Wangchuck.
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Dumtse Lhakhang
To the west of the road leading to Paro Museum is Dumtse Lhakhang, an unusual chorten-like temple that was built in 1433 (some sources say 1421) by the iron-bridge builder Thangtong Gyalpo. The temple was built to subdue a demoness and so is chained firmly to the ground. Its three floors represent hell, earth and heaven, and hold some of the finest murals in Bhutan. It's essential to bring a good torch. Your travel agency will need to have Dumtse listed on your permits so mention you'd like to stop here in advance.
Beyond Dumtse Lhakhang, to the east of the road, the tiny privately maintained Puna Lhakhang is said to date from the 7th century.
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Druk Choeding
Also known as Tshongdoe Naktshang, the quiet and peaceful Druk Choeding is the town temple. It was built in 1525 by Ngawang Chhogyel (1465–1540), one of the prince-abbots of Ralung in Tibet and an ancestor of the Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. The main statue is of a seated Jampa (future Buddha). Also present are the local protectors Gyenyen, Jichu Drakey and Hong Gyelri, surrounded by a fearsome collection of old Bhutanese shields and weapons.
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National Museum
At the top of the hill above Paro Dzong is an old watchtower that was renovated in 1968 to house the National Museum. The unusual round building is said to be in the shape of a conch shell, with 2.5m-thick walls; it was completed in 1656 and was originally the ta dzong (watchtower) of Paro Dzong, which lies undefended below. An underground tunnel is said to lead from the watchtower to the water supply below.
The route through the museum ensures that you walk clockwise around the central images. Cameras are not allowed inside the museum itself but you can photograph the grounds. The museum is an attraction for locals as well as tourists and you may be accompanied by groups…
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Chhoeten Lhakhang
The tower-like Chhoeten Lhakhang is southeast of the town square. The caretaker may allow you to visit the upstairs chapel, which features a central Jowo Sakyamuni, with Guru Rinpoche and Chenresig to the side.
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