On the mountains of central Bhutan lies the Trongsa district which has extravagant natural beauty. It is 1807 sq. km big in size and with the elevation stating from 600 to 4800 meters above the sea level. The district houses a population of more than nineteen thousand.
Trongsa is indeed one of the special districts as the history of the monarchy of Bhutan leads us back to Trongsa. The first King of Bhutan, His Majesty Ugyen Wangchuck was the Trongsa Penlop followed by His Majesty Jigme Wangchuck, the second King. Trongsa was the ancient seat for the benevolent kings and even today the Crown Prince of the nation generally embraces the position of Trongsa Penlop before rising to the Throne. The first Trongsa Penlop was Chhoegyal Minjur Tenpa who was appointed by Zhabdrung.
Trongsa was discovered in the 16th Century and its name stands for ‘New Village’. There are many scared sites to see in Trongsa such as the Ta Dzong, Trongsa Dzong, Nabji Lakhang and Phumzur Lhakhang. The Lhakhangs are hard to reach due to the limited road facilities.
The majority of the land mass of the district is covered in forest at 88 % in total and falls under the Wangchuck Centennial in the north and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park in the rest. Trongsa is still quite rural and most settlements are scattered. Agriculture is the main economic source for the district. Trongsa has 5 gewogs (counties) in total and has varied climatic conditions.
Mangdechhu river flows through the Trongsa valley. The Mangedechhu Hydropower Project is also under the future plan of the country which aims to generate around 720 MW of electricity. This may actually lead to a new developmental paradigm in the district.
Ta Dzong
Trongsa Dzong
Thruepang Palace
Chendebji Chorten