Rinpung Dzong

Built in 1646 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal on the foundations of a monastery established by Guru Rinpoche, Rinpung Dzong ("Fortress on a Heap of Jewels") commands the Paro Valley from a prominent hillside overlooking the Paro Chhu river. The dzong houses the district monastic body of about 200 monks and the Paro Dzongkhag administration. Its massive structure features a central utse (tower), fine woodwork, and murals depicting Buddhist cosmology, and it serves as the site of the spectacular annual Paro Tshechu, one of Bhutan's most famous religious festivals.