Paro is a town and seat of Paro District, located in the Paro Valley of Bhutan. It is a historic town with many sacred sites and historical buildings scattered through the area. Rinpung Dzong a fortress-monastery overlooking the Paro valley has a long history.

A monastery was first built on the site by Padma Sambhava at the beginning of the tenth century, but it wasn’t until 1644 that Ngawang Namgyal built a larger monastery on the old foundations, and for centuries this imposing five storey building served as an effective defence against numerous invasion attempts by the Tibetans.

The Paro Tshechu festival is a ceremony in the Dzong Paro Rinpung since the mid 17th century and is held annually to honor the enlightened Guru Rinpoche who established Buddhism in Tantric form in the Himalaya regions in the 8th century.

Map: Paro
Map: Paro