Paro
 With our passage through the bridge, behold a curious transformation. For just as Alice,
as she walked through the looking-glass, found herself in a new and whimsical world, so
do we, when we crossed the Pa-chhu, and found ourselves as though caught up on some magic time machine fitted fantastically with a reverse, flung back across the centuries into the feudalism of a mediaeval age. Earl of Ronaldshay, Lands of the Thunderbolt (1923).
The Paro valley is without doubt one of the loveliest in Bhutan. Willow trees and apple orchards line many of the roads, whitewashed farmhouses and temples complement the green terraced fields and forested hills rise on either side to create a beautiful, organic and peaceful whole.
The broad valley is also excellent agricultural land and the people of Paro are better off than many elsewhere in Bhutan. One indication of their affluence is the preponderance of metal roofs throughout the valley, which have largely replaced the traditional wooden shingles. Red and white rice, apples, strawberries and asparagus (wonderful in April) all thrive in the fertile soil.
The charming small town of Paro lies in the centre of the valley on the banks of the Paro (or Pa) Chhu, just a short distance northwest of the imposing Paro Dzong. The main street, built only in 1985, is lined with
colorfully painted wooden shop fronts and restaurants, though a modern concrete extension is taking root to the side. Some of the older shops in Paro have doors at the back; a strange ladder system provides access through the front window. An unusual local regulation has, for a while, prohibited bicycle riding within Paro town.
Other Useful Information
- Around Paro
- Entertainment & Shopping
- Sights
Around Paro
Though the Paro valley extends west all the way to the peaks on the Tibetan border, the road only goes as far as Drukgyel Dzong, 11km beyond Paro. En route it passes half a dozen resorts, some lovely rural scenery and some of Bhutan's most famous sights. Beyond the dzong a side valley leads to the Tremo La, the 5000m pass that was once an important trade route to Tibet and also the route of several Tibetan invasions.
There are several options if you are interested in a day hiking in the Paro valley. Southeast of Kyichu Lhakhang in the direction of Paro is Kenchu Goemba and Drongja Goemba, both of which can provide an excuse for a short hike. From here you could continue back to Paro via Loma Lhakhang, just above Paro town, which is visited by Bhutanese whose children are ill. More ambitious is the cardio day hike up to Dorena Goemba, high on the ridge behind the Olathang Hotel.
KYICHU LHAKHANG
A short drive from Paro is Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest and most beautiful temples. This temple is popularly believed to have been built in 659 by King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet, to pin down the left foot of an giant ogress who was thwarting the establishment of Buddhism into Tibet. Additional buildings and a golden roof were constructed in 1839 by the penlop of Paro and the 25th Je Khenpo.
TAKTSHANG GOEMBA
Taktshang is the most famous of Bhutan's monasteries, miraculously perched on the side of a sheer cliff 900m above the floor of Paro valley, where the only sounds are the murmurs of wind and water and the chanting of monks. The name means 'tiger's nest'; it is said that Guru Rinpoche flew to the site of the monastery on the back of a tigress, a manifestation of his consort yeshe Tsogyal, to subdue the local.
THE HIKE
The only way up to the Tiger's Nest is to walk, ride a horse. The 1 hour hike is a major part of any tourist itinerary and is
the high light of the spectacular views. If the full hike sounds a bit tough you can walk (or ride horses) to the 'cafeteria', a wooden teahouse restaurant, which offers a good view of the monastery. If you require horses, be sure to mention this to your guide a day or two in advance. Wear a hat and bring
bottled water.
THE MONASTERY
Since 2005 it has been possible for tourists to enter the monastery, but only if your guide has arranged a permit in advance. Bags and cameras generally have to be deposited at the entrance and you must register with the army.
As you enter the complex you pass underneath images of the Rigsum Goempo (Jampelyang, Chenresig and Channa Dorje). The first chapel on the left has connections to Dorje Phagmo, with a rock image of the goddess hidden in a recessed hole in the floor. The inner chorten belongs to Langchen Pelgyi Tsengay, a 9th-century disciple of Guru Rinpoche, who meditated in the cave.
ABOVE THE MONASTERY
After visiting the Tiger's Nest it is possible to take a side trail uphill to the Machig-phu Lhakhang, where Bhutanese pilgrims come to pray for children. Head to the cave behind the chapel and select the image of the Tibetan saint Machig Labdron on the right (for a baby girl), or the penis print on the cave wall to the left (for a boy). The main statues inside the chapel are of Machig and her husband Padampa Sangye.
DRUKGYEL DZONG
At the end of the road, 14km from Paro, stand the ruins of Drukgyel Dzong. This dzong was built in 1649 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in a location chosen for its control of the route to Tibet. The dzong was named 'Druk' (Bhutan) 'gyel' (victory) to commemorate the victory of Bhutan over Tibetan invaders in 1644. One of the features of the dzong was a false entrance that was designed to lure invaders into an enclosed courtyard. This is said to have worked successfully during the second attack by Tibetan invaders in 1648.
Entertainment & Shopping
Entertainment
Club K: Check out Bhutan’s many faces at this swanky basement nightclub, which boasts a bouncer (normally it’s the female owner,
Sonam), a mirrorball and a fairly upper crust crowd. Ladies get in for free on Wednesdays. The Sonam Troephel Hotel is being built above the club.
Millennium Club: You’re more likely to get chatting to locals at this older local disco, normally open Saturday nights only.
Shopping
There are numerous handicraft shops throughout the valley and most open daily and take credit cards. Chencho Handicrafts, on the corner of the town square, has probably the most interesting selection. Made in Bhutan is a slick operation, with a wide selection of crafts.
The government-run Handicrafts Emporium (9am-1pm, 2-6pm), on the main street, has books and modern souvenirs at tourist prices.
There are several interesting local shops. Deki Dem Shop and Lam Tshering Dirji General Shop, both marked by a row of
colorful prayer wheels, sell prayer flags, incense and other religious items.
Gyeltshen Tailor Shop has a selection of mounted thangkas, Bhutanese flags and T
shirts and Buddhist accoutrements.
Zhayden Nagtsho is a traditional boot unit and a pair of traditional handmade Bhutanese boots, retailing around US$60.
Vajrayana Art Gallery features art by self-taught Bhutanese artist Chimmi Dorje, who incorporates
Buddhist themes such as prayer flags and mandala motifs into his abstract art. There’s also some fine photography by his brother. The gallery is often closed out of high season.
Sights
PARO (RINPUNG) DZONG
The Paro Dzong is one of Bhutan's most impressive and well-known Dzong, and perhaps the finest example of Bhutanese architecture you'll see. The massive buttressed walls tower over the town and are visible throughout the valley.
The Dzong's correct name, Rinchen Pung Dzong (usually shortened to Rinpung Dzong), means 'fortress on a heap of jewels'. In 1644 Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal ordered the construction of the dzong on the foundation of a monastery built by Guru Rinpoche. The fort was used on numerous occasions to defend the Paro valley from invasions. The British political officer John Claude White reported that in 1905 there were old catapults for throwing great stones stored in the rafters of the dzong's veranda.
Visiting the Dzong
The dzong is built on a steep hillside, and the front courtyard of the administrative section is 6m higher than the courtyard of the monastic portion. A road climbs the hill to the dzong's northern entrance, which leads into the dochey (courtyard) on the 3rd storey. The utse (central tower) inside the dochey is five storeys tall and was built in the time of the first penlop (governor) of Paro in 1649. To the east of the utse is another small lhakhang dedicated to Chuchizhey, an 11-headed manifestation of Chenresig. The richly carved wood, painted in gold, black and ochres, and the towering whitewashed walls serve to reinforce the sense of power and wealth.
NATIONAL MUSEUM
At the top of the hill above Paro Dzong is an old watchtower that was renovated in 1968 to house the National Museum (Gyelyong Damtenkhang; hrs 9am-4.30pm Tue-Sat, closed Sun, Mon & national holidays). The unusual round building is said to be in the shape of a conch shell, with 2.5m thick walls; it was completed in 1656 and was originally the ta dzong (watchtower) of Paro Dzong. There is said to be an underground tunnel that leads from the watchtower to the water supply below.
UGYEN PELRI THANG
The Ugyen Pelri Palace is in a secluded wooded compound on the south side of the river just west of the dzong. This palace was built by the Paro penlop, Tshering Penjor, in the early 1900s and is now a residence of the queen mother, thus closed to the public. It is designed after Guru Rinpoche's celestial paradise, Zangto Pelri, and is one of the most beautiful examples of Bhutanese architecture. You can get views of the palace from above
the dzong.
DRUK CHOEDING
Also known as Tshongdoe Naktshang, the quiet and peaceful Druk Choeding is the town temple. It was built in 1525 by Ngawang Chhogyel (1465-1540), one of the prince-abbots of Ralung in Tibet and an ancestor of the Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. The main statue is of a seated Jampa (Future Buddha). Also present is the Bhutanese protector deity Gyenyen, surrounded by a fearsome collection of old Bhutanese shields and weapons.
DUMTSE LHAKHANG
To the west of the road is Dumtse Lhakhang, an unusual chorten-like temple that was built in 1433 by the iron-bridge builder Thangtong Gyalpo. Its three floors represent hell, earth and heaven, and the murals inside are said to be some of the finest in Bhutan. It's essential to bring a good torch.
A special permit is required to visit the interior so mention this in advance.
SUNDAY MARKET
Paro's weekly vegetable market isn't all that expansive but it's a fine introduction to some of Bhutan's unique local products. You'll see strings of chugo (dried yak cheese), either white (boiled in milk and dried in the sun) or brown (smoked). The fruit that looks like an orange egg is actually fresh husky betel nut, imported from India. The jars of pink paste contain lime, which is ingested with the betel nut. There are also exotic-looking ferns, powdered juniper incense, squares of dried jellied cow skin known as khoo (a local snack!) and slabs of datse, the cheese used in almost every Bhutanese dish. The market is busiest between 6.30am and 10am.
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