Buddha Dordenma

The Buddha Dordenma statue overlooking Thimphu valley stands 51m tall and contains 125,000 smaller Buddha statuettes inside it. Construction began in 2006 and was completed on 25 September 2015.

The site also includes a meditation hall and thousands of additional Buddha images arranged around its base.

The statue sits on the ridge of Kuensel Phodrang, once the site of a palace of the 13th Desi, and was built partly to fulfil a prophecy attributed to the yogi Sonam Zangpo that a large Buddha would appear in the region and bring blessing with it. The figure is bronze and gilded, as are the smaller ones inside. The park around it is one of the few places in Thimphu laid out for walking, and the whole capital, Tashichho Dzong included, lies below. Late afternoon gives the best light.