A visit to Bhutan will remain incomplete without sighting its rich heritage of arts and crafts such as the sacred murals, hand-woven, colorful textiles and other handicrafts. Include these places in your tour if you want to experience Bhutan’s rich culture of handicrafts:
- National Institute for Zorig Chusum: This institute teaches six of the 13 traditional arts to student including thangka painting, embroidery, sculpture, metalworking and woodturning. You can watch the students and take their photographs. The institute is closed from December to March and for two weeks in July.
- Jungshi Traditional Paper Factory: True to its name “Jungshi”, which means natural, the traditional paper is handmade form the daphne bark. It has to go through a process of soaking and boiling to sorting, crushing, pulping, layering and drying.
- National Textile Museum: To know about traditional Bhutanese wear, a visit to the national Textile Museum may be deemed necessary. The ground floor houses cham costumes while the upper floor introduces the major weaving techniques, and local textiles made by men and women,
- Tshendhen Incense Factory, Bondey: Bondey is a settlement, which you will reach first from Paro airport while travelling to Thimphu. Just 1 km from Bondey is the family-run Tshendhen Incense Factory where you will get to breathe in the fragrance of sandalwood, juniper and other herbs.
- Khoma Village: Located in the eastern town of Lhuentse, all the inhabitants of this remote village have a loom for weaving “brocade-style” textiles.