Wangdue Phodrang Dzong

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong is a historic fortress-monastery originally built in 1638 on a long narrow ridge at the confluence of the Punatsangchhu and Dangchhu rivers in central Bhutan. The original structure was largely destroyed by fire in 2012 and reconstruction is underway using traditional Bhutanese building methods without nails. The prominent ridgetop position, visible from the highway approaching from Thimphu, makes the dzong a strong photographic subject against the river valley below.