Yangtse Gewog

2006 Abdication of Jigme Singye Wangchuck

On 14 December 2006 the Fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicated the throne of Bhutan in favour of his eldest son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. The handover, signalled by a royal kasho on 9 December, brought forward by roughly two years a transition the Fourth King had publicly trailed since December 2005, and prepared the country for the constitutional and democratic transformation that followed in 2008.

Kuri-Gongri Hydropower Project

The 2,640 MW Kuri-Gongri Hydropower Project is a planned reservoir-based hydropower scheme on the Kuri Chhu and Gongri Chhu in eastern Bhutan, currently in extended planning. Originally conceived in the 2008 India–Bhutan agreement to develop 10,000 MW by 2020, the project has been redesigned from run-of-river to reservoir, with the most recent Detailed Project Report estimating capital costs of approximately Nu 306–307 billion. As of mid-2025 no construction agreement has been signed.

Pilgrimage in Bhutan

Pilgrimage is a long-established religious practice in Bhutan, drawing on the Vajrayana Buddhist concept of gnas-skor (neykor) — sacred travel and circumambulation of holy places. It encompasses domestic visits to chortens, lhakhangs and beyul (hidden valleys), foreign Buddhist tourism regulated under Bhutan's high-value tourism framework, and a growing diaspora pilgrimage from resettled Bhutanese communities abroad.

Cordyceps in Bhutan

Cordyceps (Ophiocordyceps sinensis), the caterpillar fungus, is harvested in Bhutan's high-altitude alpine meadows and generates millions of dollars in annual revenue for highland communities. The Royal Government regulates harvesting through seasonal permits and quota systems to balance the economic benefits with sustainability concerns.

SIM Cards and Internet Access for Visitors to Bhutan

A practical guide for tourists visiting Bhutan on obtaining SIM cards, choosing between B-Mobile and TashiCell, data plan options, WiFi availability, and mobile coverage across the country including rural and trekking areas.

Coming of Age in Bhutan

Coming-of-age traditions in Bhutan encompass a range of cultural, religious, and social practices that mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. Unlike many societies that observe a single coming-of-age ceremony, Bhutanese transitions are woven into a series of milestones including religious initiations, assumption of adult dress, participation in communal labour, and the taking on of household responsibilities. These traditions vary across regions, ethnic groups, and social contexts, and have evolved significantly in the modern era.

Dungkhag Courts of Bhutan

The Dungkhag Courts are the lowest tier of Bhutan's four-level formal judiciary, functioning as sub-district trial courts of first instance in selected dungkhags (sub-districts) below the twenty dzongkhag courts.

Bhutanese Painting Classification System

The Bhutanese painting classification system categorizes traditional architectural painting (Lhazo) into quality tiers (Rab, Ding, Thamar, and Yutshon) and two structural painting techniques (Sumdang and Dangtshon). Regulated by the government, these classifications determine which painting styles may be applied to different types of buildings.

Trashi Yangtse District

Trashi Yangtse District (Dzongkha: བཀྲ་ཤིས་གཡང་རྩེ་རྫོང་ཁག) is a district in northeastern Bhutan, carved out of Trashigang District in 1992. It is renowned for Chorten Kora, one of Bhutan's most sacred Buddhist monuments, and for its thriving tradition of wooden bowl and container craftsmanship.

Trashi Yangtse Town

Trashi Yangtse Town is the administrative capital of Trashi Yangtse District in far-eastern Bhutan, famous for the magnificent Chorten Kora stupa, traditional wood-turning and handmade paper crafts, and its proximity to the Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary where endangered black-necked cranes winter.

Ethnic Groups of Bhutan

Bhutan is home to several distinct ethnic groups, principally the Ngalop of the western highlands, the Sharchop of the east, and the Lhotshampa of the southern foothills. Smaller indigenous communities, including the Kheng, Bumthap, and nomadic Brokpa, contribute to a diverse social fabric shaped by geography, migration, and state policy.

Thirteenth Five-Year Plan of Bhutan (2024–2029)

The Thirteenth Five-Year Plan (13th FYP) of Bhutan covers the period 2024-2029 under the theme of "Narrowing the Gap." It represents Bhutan's first development plan after graduating from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in December 2023, and outlines strategies for economic diversification, youth employment, sustainable development, and managing the transition from concessional international financing.

Traditional Architecture of Bhutan: A Guide

Bhutanese traditional architecture encompasses a distinctive building tradition characterised by rammed earth and timber construction, elaborately carved wooden windows (rabsel), sloping roofs, and symbolic decorative elements rooted in Buddhist cosmology. A national building code requires that all new construction — including modern commercial and government buildings — incorporate traditional architectural elements, making Bhutan one of the few countries in the world where vernacular building traditions are legally mandated. Regional variations between western, central, and eastern Bhutan reflect different climatic conditions, available materials, and cultural influences, while modern adaptations seek to reconcile traditional aesthetics with contemporary functional requirements.

Traditional Bhutanese House Design

Traditional Bhutanese houses are three-story rammed-earth structures with distinctive regional variations, designed to withstand Himalayan climates while reflecting Buddhist cosmological principles. The ground floor houses livestock, the middle floor serves as the family living space, and the top floor contains a shrine room and grain storage, following a vertical hierarchy from the mundane to the sacred.

Mongar Regional Referral Hospital

The Mongar Regional Referral Hospital, also known as the Eastern Regional Referral Hospital, is the principal tertiary-care facility for eastern Bhutan, located in Mongar town in Mongar dzongkhag. The 150-bed hospital was constructed with Government of India financial assistance and serves as the apex referral institution for six eastern dzongkhags and parts of Bumthang.

Chorten

A chorten (Dzongkha and Tibetan mchod rten, "receptacle of offering") is the Bhutanese form of the Buddhist stupa: a religious-architectural monument that serves as a reliquary, a meditation symbol and a focus of pilgrimage. Chortens are among the most numerous and visible religious structures in Bhutan, found on hilltops, mountain passes, river confluences and at the entrances of villages, dzongs and temples.

Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck

Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck (born 21 May 1930) is the Gyalyum (Royal Grandmother) of Bhutan, widow of the Third Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, mother of the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and paternal grandmother of the reigning Fifth King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. A daughter of the Dorji family of Bhutan and Sikkim, she has been a central figure in the Wangchuck dynasty for more than seven decades.

Lhuentse District

Lhuentse District (Dzongkha: ལྷུན་རྩེ་རྫོང་ཁག) is a remote district in northeastern Bhutan, renowned as the ancestral home of the Bhutanese royal family. The district is celebrated for its exquisite textile weaving tradition, particularly the Kishuthara silk brocade, and is home to the historic Lhuentse Dzong perched dramatically above the Kuri Chhu river.

Trashigang Dzong

Trashigang Dzong (Dzongkha: བཀྲ་ཤིས་སྒང་རྫོང), meaning "Fortress of the Auspicious Hill," is the largest and most important dzong in eastern Bhutan. Built in 1659, it served as the seat of power for the governance of eastern Bhutan and remains the administrative centre of Trashigang District, the most populous district in the country.

Troezo — Gold and Silversmithing

Troezo (Dzongkha: khro bzo or bro bzo) is the traditional Bhutanese art of gold and silversmithing, one of the Zorig Chusum (thirteen traditional arts and crafts). Practitioners create jewelry, ritual objects, ceremonial swords, and decorative items using techniques including hammering, repoussé, engraving, filigree, and stone setting. The craft supplies objects essential to Bhutanese religious practice, court ceremony, and personal adornment.