Lunana Gewog

Punakha Dzong

Punakha Dzong, formally Pungtang Dechen Photrang Dzong ("Palace of Great Bliss"), is the second oldest and second largest dzong in Bhutan. Built in 1637–38 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal at the confluence of the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu in the Punakha valley, it served as the seat of Bhutanese government until 1955 and remains the coronation site of every Druk Gyalpo.

What Kind of People Gut the Arts?

When the Royal University of Bhutan abolished its Arts and Humanities programmes in 2022–23, it stranded thousands of students and broke its own decentralised charter. An editorial from the BhutanWiki Editorial Team on what the Arts are for, why “no demand” was never true, how a sixty-year-old college in Kalimpong still does what Bhutan now refuses to, and how the happiest country on earth came to decide that poetry does not pay.

Climate of Bhutan

The climate of Bhutan spans tropical lowlands to permanent ice within about 170 kilometres north to south, producing three broad zones — subtropical southern foothills, temperate central valleys and alpine north — each with distinct temperature and rainfall regimes. The country is dominated by the Indian summer monsoon, holds constitutionally mandated forest cover above 60 per cent, and is documented as carbon-negative, yet is also among the world's most exposed high-mountain states to warming, glacial retreat and glacial lake outburst floods.

Climate and Weather of Bhutan

Bhutan's climate varies dramatically from subtropical in the southern foothills to alpine in the northern highlands, shaped by the country's extreme altitudinal range from approximately 100 metres to over 7,500 metres. The Indian monsoon dominates the rainfall pattern, delivering the bulk of annual precipitation between June and September. Understanding Bhutan's climate zones is essential for visitors, researchers, and policymakers concerned with agriculture, biodiversity, and the growing impacts of climate change.

Cinema of Bhutan

The cinema of Bhutan is among the youngest national film industries in the world, effectively dating from the 1989 release of Gasa Lamai Singye and expanding after the 1999 arrival of television. It runs along two tracks: a commercial Dzongkha-language industry rooted in rigsar-era musical melodrama, and an arthouse tradition associated with Khyentse Norbu and Pawo Choyning Dorji that has carried Bhutan to the Academy Awards.

Cordyceps Industry in Bhutan

Cordyceps sinensis, known locally as yartsa gunbu and marketed internationally as "Himalayan gold," is one of Bhutan's most valuable non-timber forest products. Harvested at altitudes above 3,500 metres in seven dzongkhags during a tightly regulated May-June season, cordyceps has become the primary cash income source for thousands of highland households, with auction prices reaching Nu 4.3 million per kilogramme for top-quality specimens.

Sunkosh River

The Sunkosh River, known as the Punatsang Chhu in Bhutan, is a major transboundary river draining west-central Bhutan through Dagana and Tsirang districts into India, where it joins the Brahmaputra. The river basin is the site of Bhutan's largest and most troubled hydropower projects, the Punatsangchhu-I and Punatsangchhu-II schemes.

Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Risk in Bhutan

Bhutan's high Himalayan glaciers feed numerous moraine-dammed lakes that are at risk of outburst floods (GLOFs). The 1994 Lugge Tsho GLOF killed 21 people and damaged Punakha Dzong, and subsequent decades have produced one of the most active GLOF-mitigation and early-warning programmes in the Himalaya.

Chencho Dorji (Actor)

Chencho Dorji is a Bhutanese actor, director, and producer who has appeared in over 60 Bhutanese films. A five-time winner of the Bhutan National Film Awards for Best Actor, he serves as President of the Film Association of Bhutan.

Khuruthang

Khuruthang is the principal commercial town of Punakha District in west-central Bhutan. Though not the district capital, it serves as the main market hub for the Punakha–Wangdue Phodrang area, having grown rapidly due to its warm valley climate, position on the national highway, and proximity to Punakha Dzong.

Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in Bhutan

Bhutan faces one of the highest risks of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the world. With 2,674 glacial lakes — 25 of which have been identified as potentially dangerous — the threat is accelerating as climate change drives rapid glacial retreat. The catastrophic 1994 Lugge Tsho GLOF killed 21 people and devastated the Punakha Valley, and the growing Thorthormi Tsho lake remains a major concern. This article examines the science, history, and mitigation efforts behind one of Bhutan's most serious environmental challenges.

Trekking Routes in Bhutan

Bhutan offers some of the most spectacular and least-crowded trekking routes in the Himalayas, ranging from gentle day walks through glacial valleys to the legendary 25-day Snowman Trek — widely considered the most difficult long-distance trek in the world. This comprehensive guide covers seven major treks with distances, durations, elevations, costs, permit requirements, and practical planning advice.

Bhutan and Climate Change

Bhutan occupies a unique position in global climate politics as the world's only carbon-negative country, absorbing more than four times the carbon dioxide it emits thanks to its extensive forest cover. Despite contributing negligibly to global emissions, Bhutan is acutely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, particularly glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), glacial retreat, and disruptions to agriculture and water resources. The country's Constitution mandates that at least 60 per cent of its land remain under forest cover in perpetuity.

Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait

Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait is a 2016 Dzongkha-language drama directed by Khyentse Norbu, set in a forest where masked individuals gather every twelve years for a hidden ritual. The film premiered at the 69th Locarno Film Festival and was barred from public screening in Bhutan in early 2017 by the Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority over its use of religious masks.

Gasa Town

Gasa Town is the administrative capital of Gasa District in northwestern Bhutan and the most remote dzongkhag capital in the country. Situated at approximately 2,800 metres elevation beneath the imposing Gasa Dzong, the town serves as the gateway to the Laya and Lunana highlands and is renowned for its natural hot springs (Gasa Tshachu).

Bhutan International Marathon and Snowman Race

The Bhutan International Marathon is an annual road-running event launched in 2014, and the Snowman Race is a high-altitude ultra-marathon traversing the Laya–Lunana region, launched in 2022 by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck as a climate-change advocacy event.

Bhutan's Film Industry

Bhutan's film industry emerged in 1989 with the first feature film and has grown into a modest but culturally significant sector producing 15 to 20 films annually. The industry faces challenges of limited infrastructure and competition from foreign media but has gained international recognition through directors like Khyentse Norbu and Pawo Choyning Dorji.

History of Hydropower Development in Bhutan

Hydropower is the backbone of Bhutan's modern economy and the defining feature of its relationship with India. From the 336 MW Chhukha project commissioned in 1986 to the full commissioning of Punatsangchhu-II in 2025, state-led run-of-river development has transformed state finances while concentrating external debt and export earnings in a single sector and a single buyer.

Disaster Management Act of Bhutan, 2013

The 2013 statute creating Bhutan's formal disaster-management framework, the National Disaster Management Authority, and dzongkhag-level disaster risk reduction obligations after the 2009 Mongar and 2011 Sikkim earthquakes.

Snowman Trek

The Snowman Trek is a high-altitude long-distance trek in northern Bhutan, widely regarded as one of the most difficult treks in the world. Spanning approximately 356 kilometres over 25 days, the route traverses remote valleys from Laya to Lunana, crossing numerous passes above 5,000 metres, with a completion rate estimated at less than 50 per cent.