Jakar Dzong

Perched on a ridge above the Chamkhar valley, this dzong marks the spot where a white bird is said to have flown, guiding builders to the site.

Jakar means white bird, and the dzong's full name is Yugyal Dzong. Its central tower is one of the longest in Bhutan, and a covered passage runs down the slope to a tower built over the water source so that the garrison could not be cut off from water under siege. The dzong administers Bumthang, the valley Bhutanese regard as the religious heart of the country, and it looks across the Chamkhar Chhu to Jambay and Kurjey.