Cheri Monastery (Chagri Dorjeden)

The first monastery established by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal upon his arrival in Bhutan in 1620, making it one of the most historically significant religious sites in the country. Situated above the Thimphu Valley on a densely forested hillside, Cheri was where the Zhabdrung founded the first monastic body (Dratshang) in Bhutan, institutionalizing the Drukpa Kagyu school that became the state religion. The monastery remains an active meditation center where monks undertake traditional three-year retreats, and it houses sacred relics including the Zhabdrung's meditation hat.