Punakha suspension bridge
Highlights
- Among the longest of its kind in Bhutan
- Sways as you cross, hung with prayer flags
- Cross the Pho Chhu to far-bank villages
A long footbridge of steel cables and wooden planks across the Pho Chhu, a short walk from Punakha Dzong and one of the longest suspension bridges in Bhutan. It sways as you cross, it is hung with prayer flags, and it leads to the villages on the far bank.
Photo: Doug Knuth, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
More to see in Punakha
Punakha Dzong
Built in 1637–38 where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers meet, Punakha Dzong was the seat of Bhutan's government until 1955, and the first king was crowned here in 1907. It is still the winter home of the central monk body.
Chimi Lhakhang
A small temple on a hillock among the rice fields near Lobesa, built in 1499 on a site blessed by Drukpa Kunley, the Divine Madman. Couples hoping for a child come here for a blessing, and the walk in from Sopsokha takes about 20 minutes.
Dochu La
The pass at about 3,100 m on the road from Thimphu to Punakha, where 108 chortens honour the Bhutanese soldiers who died in 2003. On a clear winter morning the high Himalaya is on show, and most people stop here on the drive.
Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten
A tiered chorten on a ridge above the Mo Chhu, built under Queen Mother Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck to ward off harmful forces and bring peace. It is about 30 minutes uphill from the footbridge at Yepaisa, through rice fields and pine, with wide views of the valley from the top.
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