Trongsa Dzong

Trongsa Dzong is a fortress-monastery commanding the central crossroads of Bhutan, built on a ridgeline above the Mangde Chhu gorge in the 17th century and considered the ancestral seat of Bhutan's royal family. All traffic between eastern and western Bhutan historically had to pass through the dzong's gates, giving its governors supreme control over the country's interior. The structure is built on multiple levels descending the ridge, with the lowest sections overhanging the gorge, and remains one of the largest dzongs in the country.