In Bhutan, buildings called 'dzongs' are large structures that combine a palace, administrative offices, and a place for cultural events — a bit like if your town hall, the mayor's house, and the village hall were all one giant building. Punakha Dzong is the most spectacular of them all. It is seven storeys tall in places and has thick stone walls that have stood for hundreds of years.
The inside of Punakha Dzong is full of colour. Painted pillars, carved wooden balconies and long galleries decorated with intricate patterns line every corridor. Artists have painted scenes of mythical animals — snow lions, dragons, and peacocks — across the walls in vivid reds, golds, and greens. Bhutanese officials still use parts of the dzong for their work today, so it is both a living building and a spectacular piece of heritage.
Every year the Punakha Tshechu festival takes place here, filling the courtyards with mask dances, silk costumes, and musicians. Families travel for days to attend, dressed in their finest traditional clothes. The sound of cymbals and long trumpets echoes off the white walls and carries across the river. It is one of the biggest celebrations on Bhutan's calendar.