The Royal Heritage Museum

26/10/2026

Did you know that we have a A Garden for Visitors......
To celebrates ten years of preserving regional history and royal legacy,in year 2018, the management developed a small visitor park as a welcoming space for both national and international visitors. Over the years, this modest green space has grown beyond its original purpose and has become an integral part of the museum experience.
The park provides visitors with a peaceful place to rest, refresh themselves, enjoy a drink or lunch, and take a moment to appreciate the surroundings after exploring the museum. It has also become a popular space among the younger generation, who use the setting to capture photographs and create short videos for TikTok and other social media platforms.
The Museum Management has continuously cared for and maintained the park, ensuring that it remains clean, pleasant, and accessible for all visitors. Today, it stands as a simple yet meaningful extension of the museum—a shared space where heritage, leisure, creativity, and community come together. This will be the take off point for short trails within the museum premises providing alternative space for the visitors who are into nature.

Contributed by

Sangay Tashi
Chief Curator ( specialist )

20/10/2026

This is to inform the general public that the Museum will remain closed on 21 October 2026 (Wednesday) on account of the Dashain holiday.

The Museum will resume its regular services on the next working day.

We regret any inconvenience caused and wish everyone a Happy Dashain.

Museum Administration.

Send a message to learn more

20/10/2026

On Saturday the 17th, the Royal Heritage Museum was pleased to welcome the students, teachers, and families of Rukubji Primary School from Sephu Gewog, Wangdue Phodrang Dzongkhag.

Thank you for choosing our museum as the destination for your school's educational excursion. We hope the tour provided your students with valuable insights into our rich history and cultural heritage. It was an honor to support their learning outside the classroom, and we look forward to hosting similar educational programs in the future.

We wish the students the very best in their academic journey and always welcome you back to the Royal Heritage Museum, Trongsa.

19/10/2026

Did you know that there are ....
Traditional Meditation Huts and the Living Heritage of the Royal Heritage Museum
Within the grounds of the Royal Heritage Museum (RHM), two traditional meditation huts and two freestanding towers situated below the main watchtower provide a tranquil residence for eight senior monks ( age raging from 58 to 86 ) of the Trongsa Dratshang (the monastic body of Trongsa). Having completed their formal service at Trongsa Dzong and retired from active institutional duties, these venerable monks continue their religious lives in this peaceful setting, devoting themselves to meditation, prayer, and spiritual discipline.
Before the restoration of the main watchtower and its conversion into a museum in 2008, the monks traditionally used the tower itself for meditation and contemplation. Following the establishment of the museum, the meditation huts were constructed to provide dedicated spaces for their residence and spiritual practices.
Beyond their contemplative way of life, the resident monks continue to serve the spiritual needs of the local community. They conduct various Buddhist rituals and religious ceremonies, including annual Rimdro (rituals performed to invoke protection, well-being, and the removal of obstacles), Serkem (ritual offerings made to protective deities), and Jabthru (ritual cleansing and purification ceremonies). They also provide traditional astrological calculations and Mo divinations, a form of spiritual consultation through which people seek guidance on personal, family, and community matters.
The resident monks are an integral part of the Royal Heritage Museum, contributing to its identity not merely as a repository of historical artefacts, but as a place where Bhutan's living spiritual traditions continue to flourish. Their daily religious practices, sacred rituals, and engagement with the local community represent an enduring continuity of Bhutanese Buddhist culture. Their presence enriches the museum experience by allowing visitors to appreciate heritage not only through material objects and historical narratives, but also through the living traditions, beliefs, and spiritual practices that remain meaningful to Bhutanese society.
It is for this very reason that we proudly describe the Royal Heritage Museum as a “Living Museum”—a place where tangible heritage, embodied in historic architecture and treasured artefacts, exists alongside intangible heritage expressed through religious practices, rituals, spiritual knowledge, and community traditions. The resident monks are not merely occupants of the museum grounds; they are an essential part of its living heritage, ensuring that the sacred history and spiritual character of Ta Dzong continue to resonate with present and future generations.

Contributed by

Sangay Tashi
Principal Curator

13/10/2026

The Management and staff of the Royal Heritage Museum, Trongsa, proudly join the Nation in commemorating the auspicious occasion of Your Majesties’ Royal Wedding, a magnificent celebration of enduring love, sacred devotion, and unwavering companionship.

May Your Majesties’ union continue to radiate boundless happiness, deepen the harmony of the Golden Throne, and illuminate the Kingdom with everlasting peace, prosperity, and felicity.

With profound reverence and heartfelt affection, we extend our most felicitous wishes to Your Majesties for a lifetime of immeasurable joy, enduring togetherness, and celestial blessings.

Long Live Their Majesties! Long Live the Kingdom of Bhutan!

12/10/2026

Did you know there is hidden lake in the area of Royal Heritage Museum ?

The Hidden Lake (Yeeb Tsho)

Approximately 500 metres southwest of the Royal Heritage Museum, Ta Dzong, Trongsa, lies an area traditionally believed to conceal a hidden lake, locally known as Yeeb Tsho. Although no visible lake exists today, the area remains naturally marshy, with numerous small pockets of standing water appearing across the ground. These features have sustained the local belief that a larger body of water lies beneath the surface.
The unusual water conditions were further observed when the museum management undertook a small exploratory excavation in the area. A pond approximately two metres in radius and 0.5 metres deep was dug, but it was quickly filled with water, despite its relatively shallow depth. This occurrence strengthened the belief that an underground or hidden water body may exist beneath the surrounding terrain.
A few years ago, the Trongsa Thromde administration explored the possibility of constructing an access road through this area. However, the proposal was considered technically unfeasible following an assessment by a technical team from the Department of Culture. The area's unstable and waterlogged ground was understood to be a significant constraint for construction.
During the preparation of the Trongsa Town Structural Plan, the area was subsequently designated as a green zone, partly reflecting its environmental characteristics and the presence of underlying water. Today, Yeeb Tsho remains an intriguing natural and cultural feature of the landscape surrounding the museum, carrying both ecological significance and local traditional belief.

Contributed by

Sangay Tashi
Principal Curator

08/10/2026

Did you know about this Walnut Tree ?
According to some unaccounted account, this walnut tree is believed to have been planted by lopen Tandin, from Langthil, Trongsa , the Kangjukpa or the caretaker of Drasong Lhakhang- now the 9th Gallery and Maitreya Lhakhnag.The tree is planted in front of main musuem structured directly facing to the lhakhang. It is said that his wish was for the tree’s fruits to be offered to the lhakhang as an act of devotion and his service. Over the years, however, the tree was not regularly pruned or tended and gradually grew into its present wild form.
Now, the local people believe that the tree is inhabited or protected by a spirit. Consequently, no one dares to cut its branches or damage the tree, out of respect and fear that such an act might bring harm to the individual.
Such beliefs remain part of Bhutanese traditional worldview. Across Bhutan, certain old trees, rocks, caves, rivers and other natural places are regarded as dwelling places of spirits or protective beings.
Beyond their spiritual significance, such beliefs may also serve as a traditional means of protecting nature, discouraging unnecessary destruction and encouraging communities to live respectfully and harmoniously with the natural environment.

Contributed by

Sangay Tashi
Principal Curator

06/10/2026

Over the past two months, the Royal Heritage Museum has proudly provided its services to a diverse range of visitors. Visitor numbers increased significantly from August to September, with growing participation from international visitors, national visitors, and students. As the harvest and festival seasons have begun across the region and the country, this positive trend is expected to continue through November, offering further opportunities for the museum to engage with visitors and communities.

05/10/2026

Second Museum Youth Council Meeting

Despite the busy schedules of both the Museum Youth Council (MYC) members and museum staff, the second meeting of the Museum Youth Council was successfully convened on 2 October 2025 at the Museum Education Room of the Royal Heritage Museum, Trongsa.

The meeting was designed as an interactive learning session and comprised three key activities aimed at strengthening the members’ understanding of museum practices and their future roles in supporting museum programmes.

The first session was a familiarization workshop on object handling, conducted by the Conservator Assistant. The members were introduced to the basic principles of handling museum objects safely and responsibly, emphasizing the importance of care and conservation.

The second session focused on museum cataloguing and object description, led by the Assistant Curator. Members were introduced to the basic processes involved in documenting, identifying, describing, and recording museum collections.

The final session, facilitated by the Head of the Museum, provided an overview of the upcoming programmes and activities of the MYC. The discussion encouraged members to actively participate in planning and implementing future youth-focused museum initiatives.

The engaging sessions lasted for more than an hour and concluded on a warm and informal note with tea and momos at the Museum Café, providing an opportunity for members and museum staff to interact and exchange ideas.

30/09/2026

Did you know about the

Sacred Spring Water

A natural spring flows beneath the north-eastern side of the Royal Heritage Museum, Ta Dzong, Trongsa. Traditionally, local people believe the water possesses healing and spiritual qualities. People from Trongsa and beyond come to collect it for drinking and washing, believing it may provide relief from ailments such as joint pain and paralysis.
According to old local accounts, four small springs once flowed in the four directions around the museum building. Beneath the central tower (Utse), an underground lake is believed to exist, known as Drangsong Lha Tsho, or the Spirit Lake of Drangsong. This traditional belief is considered one reason for the spiritual and perceived healing qualities associated with the spring water.
To ensure continued public access, the Museum Management has constructed a larger reservoir and maintains an open tap where people can collect the water free of charge. The water is also piped to the Trongsa Dratshang courtyard for religious water offerings.
Over the years, several private individuals have expressed interest in tapping the spring for commercial bottling and sale. However, such proposals have not been approved, as the present intention is to preserve the spring as a public resource, allowing everyone to access its water freely.
Today, the spring remains a living heritage site where nature, belief, community, and devotion converge.

Contributor

Sangay Tashi
Principal Curator