High above the Paro Valley lies Ta Dzong, a former watchtower and now currently home to the National Museum. Built in 1649, the shape of the building is modeled after the geometric spiral of a conch shell.
The halls of the museum feature incredibly intricate thangkas from throughout the ages, as tribute to Guru Rinpoche, one of Bhutan’s most revered spiritual leaders. Thangkas are traditional Buddhist paintings representing processes of life, concepts of Buddhism, and also visual representations of mantras. It is said that simply viewing thangka art brings peace and calm to your mind.
