List of museums in Bhutan

Bhutan

Bhutan is home to numerous museums that showcase the rich traditions, history, culture and art and folks forms of the Bhutanese people. The museums also showcase the ancient history from over a 1500 years and also the recent history of the Wangchuck dynasty. Bhutan also has rich traditions of herbal and traditional forms of medicine that the museums highlight.

The Museums of Bhutan are mostly state run and funded. Most of the museums are spread between 3 locations: Thimphu, Paro and Trongsa.

Museums

S.No Museum Name Photo City Type Established Jurisdiction Collections
1. Bhutan Textile Museum
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Thimphu
27°28′00″N 89°38′30″E / 27.4666°N 89.6417°E / 27.4666; 89.6417 (Bhutan Textile Museum)
Specialized museum 2001 Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs Museum's priced collections are the crowns, namzas (dresses) and other accessories used by members of the kings of the Wangchuck dynasty and other members of the royal family.
2 Folk Heritage Museum
Thimphu Heritage center 2001 Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs Museum offers visitors a window into the lifestyle of Bhutanese villagers and their households, artifacts and items of daily use. The museum regularly organizes demonstrations of rural traditions, skills, habits and customs, household objects and tools of rural life in Bhutan.[1]
3 National Museum of Bhutan
Paro
27°25′43″N 89°25′32″E / 27.42873°N 89.42556°E / 27.42873; 89.42556 (National Museum of Bhutan)
Heritage center 1968 Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs
4 Institute of Traditional Medicine Museum
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Thimphu 27°28′57″N 89°37′56″E / 27.48250°N 89.63222°E / 27.48250; 89.63222 (Institute of Traditional Medicine Museum) Specialized museum 1968[citation needed] - The institute collects, researches and dispenses traditional herbal and other non-herbal forms of medicines from many parts of the Bhutanese Himalayan region namely Lingzhi, Laya and Lunana. The institute museum showcases ingredients that include herbs, minerals and animal parts that have healing abilities.[2]
5 Ta Dzong Museum Trongsa Heritage center 2008[3] Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs Museum chronicles the last 100 years of Bhutan and showcases the history of monarchy in Bhutan. Ta Dzong served as a watch tower for centuries and is a five storied building.[4] The museum has total of eleven galleries. One gallery is fully dedicated to Wangchuck dynasty, another showcases the history and significance of Trongsa Chhoetse Dzong. On display are the Namza (dress) and Raven Crown of the First Druk Gyalpo Ugyen Wangchuck. 500-year-old robes of Yongzin Ngagi Wangchuk founder of the Trongsa Dzong in the year 1543 is a prized possession.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Folk Heritage Museum". Tourism Council of Bhutan. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  2. ^ "National Institute of Traditional Medicine review". Lonely planet. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  3. ^ "His Majesty the King Inaugurated Ta-dzong Museum in Trongsa". Bhutan Observer. December 12, 2008. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  4. ^ "His Majesty inaugurates the Trongsa Ta Dzong Museum". Bhutan Broadcasting service. Dec 11, 2008. Archived from the original on April 10, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2013.