National Museum

The National Museum of Bhutan is a cultural retreat built in the year 1649. Initially it was built to protect the undefended dzong, and renovated in 1968 to accommodate the museum. Its edifice is in the shape of a conch shell having 2.5m-thick walls. It experienced a serious damage in the 2011 earthquake; however, it was reopened in 2016.

Attractions
The prime attraction of the museum includes an impressive collection of thangkas, both ancient and modern; depicting Bhutan’s important saints and teachers, as well as fearsome festival masks grouped according to their tsechu dances.

Another striking section of the museum is its natural-history gallery featuring a 3D map of Bhutan. Visitors must also explore the Heritage Gallery which exhibits some unique materials like an egg laid by a mule and a horse horn ascribed to Guru Rinpoche.

Other exhibits include the finest specimens of Bhutanese art, such as masterworks of bronze statues and paintings. In total the museum houses 3,000 works of Bhutanese art underlining Bhutan's rich cultural heritage.
The museum also exhibits Bhutanese Textiles offering a glimpse of rich textile tradition of Bhutan, the skill of the Bhutanese weavers through the ages and finest cotton, silk and wool textiles from all over Bhutan. It also shows the evolution of Bhutanese national dresses - gho and kira, monk's dresses and religious costumes.

Important instructions
Cameras are not allowed inside the museum. The museum closes an hour earlier in winter (November to February).