Lhuentse Dzong

Lhuentse Dzong stands on a spur above the Kuri Chhu in the region historically known as Kurtoe, in Bhutan's remote north east. Pema Lingpa's son Kuenga Wangpo founded a temple on the site in 1543, and the dzong itself was built in 1654 by Chogyal Minjur Tempa, then governor of Trongsa, who named it Lhuentse Rinchentse.

Kurtoe is the ancestral home of the Wangchuck dynasty, which is why a district this far from anywhere carries the weight it does. The surrounding valleys are the source of Bhutan's most prized weaving, and the village of Khoma, a short drive away, is where most of it is made.