Wangdue Phodrang

The town shares its name with the Wangdue Phodrang Dzong built in 1638 that dominates the district. The name is said to have been given by Ngawang Namgyal, the 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche, who was searching for the best location for a dzong to prevent incursions from the south. At the chosen spot, the Zhabdrung encountered a boy named Wangdi playing beside the river and hence named the dzong "Wangdi's Palace".^{[citation needed]}

Wangdi Phodrang Dzong burnt down in the afternoon of 24 June 2012, supposedly because of a faulty electrical water cooker. However, the dzong was being renovated at the time, so most of the historical relics had already been put into storage and were saved from destruction.^[6] Shortly after the fire, more than 1000 Japanese sympathizers donated an equivalent of over US$134,500 to the Wangdue Phodrang Reconstruction Fund.^[7]

Dolung Gonpa is located at the Wangdu. Based on the oral tradition, this monastery is one of several seats founded in different parts of Bhutan around 16th century by Chung Youngzin Ngagi Wangachuk. It was built as practice center of Jangas Dzong near the village of Khotokha Yulsar.

According to another oral tradition this Goenpa was founded by the 2nd Je khenpo Sonam Yozer, who came to the Je Khenpho throne in the water Rat year of the 11th Rabjung.

Today the Government has started a monastic school at this two-storey monastery.

Situated at 2770 meters above sea level, it can be reached in about fifteen minutes on foot from Khothang Rinchenling Shedra.^[8]

There are three paved roads in Wangdi Phodrang. The Lateral Road enters from the west at Dochula Pass, crosses the Sankosh River (Dzongkha: Puna Tsang Chhu) at Wangdi Phodrang Dzong, and continues east to Tongsa. One spur road heads north from Wangdi Phodrang to Punakha Dzong and slightly beyond. This becomes the footpath to Gasa.

A second spur departs the Lateral Road near the Pele Pass halfway between Wangdi and Tongsa, traveling south a short distance to Gangteng Monastery and the Phobjikha Valley, where rare black-necked cranes may be found. Khothang Rinchenling is one of the eight main seats founded by Kunkhye Longchen Rabjam, the Great Chariot of the Old School of the Early Translation who visited Bhutan in the Fourteenth Century.^[9]

An interesting story connects the Dzong to the old cantilever bridge that once used to span the Punatsangchu. The bridge was built after the construction of the dzong under the direction of famed mason called Drakpa from Rinchengang village. As a safeguard against flash flood, a mandala dedicated to mithrugpa was installed at the base of the bridge's foundation.

During the tenure of the 20th Wangzop Domchung a big flood washed away the entire bridge, except for the mandala and the base, which were left intact.

It is said the Dzongpon Domchung organized a tshechu with the masked dance, Dolay Raksha.

It was performed to attract the river spirit who was disrupting reconstruction of the bridge. The sprite stayed engrossed in the festivity, Domchung with several hundred men sneaked down to the river and completed the bridge.

The unleashed floods destroyed the bridge, but the Wangzop was very clever, so he had worked with clever design into the foundation pillar to withstand the forces of water.^[10]

Wangdue Phodrang features a dry-winter humid subtropical climate (Köppen)

• Satellite map at Maplandia.com