CENTRAL rich biodiversity. It’shoped thattheparkwillsoonreopen toforeigners. andnearbyUra. Bumthangisoneoftherealat JampeyLhakhang highlightsofBhutan. oldest monasteries, treks festivals, somegreat andspectacular andshort dayhikes primarily Forthevisitoritoffers severallandscape isBhutan’sculturalheartland. ofBhutan’sbestand miracles, richwithrelics andPema fromthevisitsofGuruRinpoche Lingma. This forested magical region ofsaintsandtreasure-seekers, great demon-subduingstrugglesandfabulous asthe serve has longbeenthegluethatholdscountrytogether. Even todaytheCrownPrincemust valley andthegreat TrongsaDzong. ofthree Commandingthejunction majorroads, was onfootoratopasure-footed horse. , Paro andPunakha. ofBhutan untilthe1970sonlywaytoreach Infact, thispart n a timeto gethere, alittleextra takes thecountrysideandhotels seefewer touriststhanin t u h There isagreat varietyofpeople,architecture andsceneryincentralBhutan.Becauseit B l a r t n e C 160 © LonelyPlanetPublications In thesouth Royal ManasNationalPark protects aregion oftropicalvegetation and drive overA short themountainsfromTrongsaleadstofourvalleysofBumthang,a Across the3420m-highPele LaandtheBlackMountainsislarge, MangdeChhu fertile

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Time inthe yourvisitto take Headupthe Tang Valley to thehundred-year- Pause at Pay avisitto Stretch inthe yourlegson one ofthemanyexcellenthikes Explore sprawling ( p179) in thenearbytraditional villageof ( p179 ) orleave the groupsbehindandlinger temples ( p176 ancient), Bumthang’smostspectacular Bhutanese architecture to afinemuseumandguesthouseretreat old Lhakhang in Kathmandu, enroute to Trongsa in Kathmandu, smaller, butpatterned after, Ogyen ChholingPalace Chendebji Chorten 12) and (p172) (regional governor) ofthedzongbefore hecanruleasking. Tamshing Lhakhang 18) nw home now ( p178), Ura festival ( opposite ): (p173), ( p164 ), oneofthemostdramaticexamplestraditional Shingkhar Jampey

Chendebji Chorten Trongsa Dzong Bumthang valley Jampey Lhakhang Bumthang Valley Ura Kurjey Lhakhang Tamshing Lhakhang ( p171) Chholing Ogyen Palace Shingkhar CENTRAL BHUTAN

161 momos Travellers Travellers village with village Rukubji are tied to horses’ pack tied to horses’ are , at a lovely spot by a river spot by a river , at a lovely zhim, . After the Buddhist blessing . After (chapel), on the far bank. This was (chapel), (2610m), next to the bridge that spans the (2610m), next to the bridge lhakhang The road follows the Nikka Chhu to two Two kilometres beyond Chendebji village beyond Chendebji village Two kilometres Lower down into the valley the vegetation the vegetation Lower down into the valley a side valley and drops to The road enters About 16km from the pass keep an eye pass keep 16km from the About The road drops into the evergreen forests of of forests into the evergreen The road drops Chendebji Chorten area near Pele Lain best place the is probably Pele near area see to Bhutan Be yaks from the road. alert, skit- shaggythough, are beasts these as great when to run off the forest into tish and likely approaches. your vehicle saddles to transport goods. Tsering’s Restau- saddles to transport goods. Tsering’s rant cum Bar offers bridge beside the (dumplings), tea and a clean toilet.(dumplings), tea Shida, from , to cover the remains of of the remains to cover from Tibet, Shida, The proper an evil spirit that was killed here. Charo is Chorten this structure name of You could stop briefly to examine the bamboo though most of for sale here, mats and baskets The larger items. functional the products are called baskets, confluence with that mark the river’s chortens windingthe Nyala Chhu. It is then a gentle, descent through rhododendrons, blue pines, spruces, oaks and dwarf bamboo to the village of roof by the yellow Chendebji, recognisable of its from travelling a night halt for mule caravans the second king. of Trongsa during the reign is is pat- chorten white The large confluence. Swayambhunath in Kathmandu after terned and was built in the 19th century by Lama its big school and goemba at the end of a huge a huge and goembaits big school of at the end a giant alluvial fan believed to be the body of clustered The houses are in this village snake. an unusual layout for Bhutan. closely together, fields of extensive are Surrounding the village mustard, potatoes, barley and wheat. rock inscrip- open on the left for the roadside in 2002 for left here tion and mural that was the Bhutanese movie the filming of and Magicians Sephu the 25-day Nikka Chhu. This is the end point of and passes that starts from Paro Snowman trek ). p237 Lunana district (see through the remote the Longte valley, passing Kgebji village and and village passing Kgebji valley, the Longte Choeling Restaurant below the high the Tashi small white The groups of Longte. of village are houses road here along the numbered crews. for road-maintenance quarters to broadleaf species and bamboo. changes The road passes opposite 101’! come the words ‘Scene 112, take . This cham (secular ruler), desi (governor). penlop exerted great influence over influence over great exerted to Trongsa (129km) Phodrang •• Wangdue TRONGSA DZONGKHAG penlop

Bumthang retained its political importanceBumthang retained

Because Trongsa posi- strategic Dzong’s of During the rule of the first the first During the rule of History bamboo never gets large enough to harvest large bamboo never gets for any useful purpose, but when it is small The yaks and horses. food of it is a favourite 27km / 1 hour La the road drops through hillsides Pele From bamboo called dwarf a strange of Pele La to Chendebji Pele La to Chendebji Chhu valley. See p151 for details of the drive the drive for details of p151 Chhu valley. See La. from Wangdi to the Pele Mountains over the Pele La before (3420m) the Pele Mountains over Mangde cultivated the broad, heavily entering and Trongsa. The route crosses the Black crossesand Trongsa. The route the Black It takes about four hours to drive between the to drive about four hours takes It Wangdi (Wangdue Pho- windswept town of Bhutan, drang’s colloquial name) in western TO TRONGSA WANGDUE PHODRANG TO TRONGSA (129KM) TRONGSA DZONGKHAG TRONGSA DZONGKHAG Eundu Chholing and Urgyen Chholing. Eundu Chholing and Urgyen pressive royal residences and country estates re- and country estates royal residences pressive including at Kuenga Rabten,main in the region, tion, the country. It was from Trongsa that the entire king, rose the first Jigme Namgyal, father of to power. and second the first kings,during the rule of at whom had their principal residence both of Several im- in . Palace Wangdichholing known as Shachho Khorlo Tsegay. He was then He Khorlo Tsegay. known as Shachho to Trongsapromoted central and eastern Bhutan into eight provinces central and eastern Tenzin Drugyey, all of eastern Bhutan came Bhutan eastern Drugyey, all of Tenzin the Drukpa government under the control of unified in . Chhogyel Mingyur Tenpa tinued to be a separate ruled from kingdom, Zhabdrung Ngawang until the time of Jakar, Namgyal in the 17th century. who was eventually converted to Buddhism by who was eventually converted con- ). Bumthang p173 (seeGuru Rinpoche principalities ruled by independent kings. One ruled by independent kings. principalities these the most important kings was the of of Bumthang, Indian Sindhu Raja8th-century of Bumthang and the southern region of Khyeng. of the southern region Bumthang and separate These other valleys were and many Bhutan to have been evidence with inhabited, Bhutan to have settlements Ura valley of in the prehistoric of Central of part is believed Bhutan be the first to lonelyplanet.com