Punakha is the administrative center of Punakha dzongkhag and the second largest dzongkhag in Bhutan.
Punakha (Dzongkha: སྤུ་ ན་ ཁ་, Willie transcription: sPu-na-kha) is the administrative center of Punakha dzongkhag and the second largest dzongkhag in Bhutan. It is a dzongkhag located in the north-central region of Bhutan at an altitude of 1300 meters. Located on the upper Sankohe River, Punakha is the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan (the government moved its capital to Thimphu in 1955). The town was founded in 1577 and was once the winter capital of Bhutan, the seat of Bhutan's Tubang, and is now a distribution center for agricultural products. Built in 1657, the majestic Punakha Castle (sPu-na-khardzong) is the second largest castle in Bhutan, at the intersection of Pho-chu and Mo-chu River. Agricultural Punakha Valley is a famous rice cultivation base in Bhutan. Two types of red and white rice are planted along the banks of Pho-chu and Mo-chu, two of the most prominent river basins in Bhutan. What are the best places to explore in Punakha? You can go to the highlights of Punakha such as Chimmi Lhakhang, Punakha Dzong, Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten and Gangtey Goemba.
