National Memorial Chorten

One of the most iconic landmarks in Thimphu, built in 1974 in memory of the Third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, known as the "Father of Modern Bhutan." The large whitewashed stupa, modeled in Tibetan style with ornate golden spires, was planned by the Third King himself as a monument to world peace before his unexpected death in 1972. Elderly Bhutanese circumambulate the chorten daily while spinning prayer wheels and chanting mantras, making it one of the most spiritually active sites in the capital and a window into everyday Buddhist devotion.