The Bumthang region is composed of four smaller valleys of great significance: Tang, Ura, Choskhor and Chhume. The name ‘Bumthang’ can be interpreted in various ways. The valley is shaped similar to a ‘bumpa’, which is a vessel that contains holy water and is placed on the altar of a lhakhang (literal meaning, House of God). ‘Thang’ means a field or a flat piece of land. It can also refer to the beautiful women that are supposedly found there; as ‘bum’ means girl. The sale of tobacco is prohibited in Bumthang as the valley was of great significance to Guru Rinpoche who was strongly against tobacco.

The drive to Bumthang is about 8 hours from Thimphu and two and a half hours from Trongsa. On the way to Bumthang you will pass the Chhume valley, the Bula Lhakhang and Samtenling Goemba. Tharpaling Goemba is also visible from the roadside. This Goemba was founded by, the Nyingmapa saint, Longchen Rabjampa. You will also pass the Domkhar village; where you can view Domkhar Trashichhoeling- the summer palace of King Jigme Wangchuck. It is now under the care of the Trongsa Monk Body.

Beside Domkhar village is another small village known as the Tume village. The people of this village are mostly sheepherders. The Zungney village nearby is the location of the Bhutan Australian Sheep and Wool Development project offices. It also contains a 1.5MW Chhume mini-hydro electric plant, which supplies electricity to Trongsa and Bumthang.

Jakar Dzong lies in the Jakar valley and was built in 1667. Jakar literally means ‘Castle of the White Bird’. Legend has it, that when the lamas were searching for a perfect location for the dzong, a single white bird flew by and descended on the top of a hill. This was considered a good omen and hence led to the allocation of the dzong to its site. The Jakar Dzong is the largest dzong in Bhutan. It was damaged by an earthquake in 1897 but has since been successfully restored to its original form.

Wangdichholing palace was built in 1857 on the site of a victorious battle led by Trongsa Penlop, Jigme Namgyal. His son, the first King of Bhutan, Ugyen Wangchuck was born and brought up here. It was used as his residence throughout his reign and also during the reign of the second King.

Lamey Goemba was built by, King Ugyen Wangchuck’s grandson, Dasho Phuntsho Wangdi sometime in the 18th century. It is now used as the headquarters of the Swiss- Bhutan forestry study project.

The Vegetable Dye Project is also situated in Jakar. This project is in collaboration with Ideas International, an Australian NGO and a Bangladesh NGO. They produce traditional vegetable dyes to be used in the production of cotton thread and raw silk.

The Udee Woodcarving Factory is the only furniture factory in this town and sells various traditional Bhutanese items.

The Dhe Wang Handmade Paper Factory is a traditional paper factory. They sell traditional Bhutanese paper of various colours and of varying thickness.
The Sey Lhakhang is located in Choskhor valley. ‘Sey’ means gold and this lhakhang was established in1963.

Jambay Lhakhang is about 1.5 km past Sey Lhakhang. It was supposedly built in 659, by Songtsen Gyampo on the same day as the Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro. The temple was restored by, Sindhu Raja, after Guru Rinpoche restored his life force. When Ugyen Wangchuck became the Trongsa Penlop he built the ‘Dus-Kyi-Khorlo’ within the compound of the Lhakhang. Later on, Chimmi Dorji added the Guru Lhakhang to the collection. The Lhakhang is built over a lake in which Guru Rinpoche is said to have hidden many sacred and religious treasures. The Guru sat and meditated on an alcove, leaving behind his footprint.

In October the Jambay Lhakhang Drup is held in this Lhakhang. Infertile women are blessed so that they may bear children.

Beyond Jambay Lhakhang, is Chankhar Lhakhang. It is the site of the palace of the Indian King Sindhu Raja. It can easily be mistaken for an ordinary village house because of its simplicity. The original palace was built of iron and this is why it was named Chankhar, meaning iron castle. It was rebuilt in the 14th century by a Saint called- Dorji Lingpa.

Kurje Lhakhang is one of the most sacred lhakhangs in Bhutan. It is named after the body of Guru Rinpoche, which is preserved inside a cave in the Lhakhang. The Lhakhang stands at a height of 2640m. The story of Kurje Lhakhang goes as follows:

In 746 Sindhu Raja was the ruling King of Bumthang. His main rival was Naochhe (Big Nose) and this rival managed to kill Sindhu Raja’s son. Out of anger Sindhu Raja desecrated the abode of the guardian deity of Bumthang known as Shelging Karpo. Shelging Karpo punished the King by stealing his life force and gradually bringing him closer to death. The King turned to Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche) for help. The Guru came to Bumthang and meditated in a cave where he left an imprint of his body. This is where the monastery now stands.

The story goes on to say that the Guru transformed himself into his own eight manifestations and they started to dance in a field. All the local deities appeared to watch the performance except for Shelging Karpo. The Guru then transformed Sindhu Raja’s daughter into five princesses, each holding a gold ewer. The sunlight was caught by these ewers and was reflected into Shelging Karpo’ s hiding place. Overcome by curiosity Shelging Karpo transformed himself into a white lion and went to see the spectacle. On seeing the lion, Guru changed himself into a garuda and captured Shelging Karpo. The Guru managed to retrieve Sindhu Raja’s life force and to convert the rival Kings’ into devout Buddhists. Shelging Karpo became the guardian deity of Buddhism. The Guru is also said to have planted his staff in the ground, which is where a huge cypress tree stands in the grounds of Kurje Lhakhang today. The Kurje Tsechu is held every June and contains masked dances that show Guru Rinpoche’s defeat of Shelging Karpo.

Thankabi Goemba was built in1470 by Shamar Rinpoche and was later taken over by Pema Lingpa. A short distance from this Goemba is Ngang-yul, which stands for ‘Swan Land’. Guru Rinpoche visited this valley and later Ngang Lhakhang was built by Lama Namkha Samdrup. Each December a three-day festival, the Ngangbi tsechu is held here.

The major influence in the temples on the east side of the valley was Terton Pema Lingpa. A ‘Terton’ is a treasure discoverer. Pema Lingpa was one of the five great tertons. He was born in the Tang valley of Bumthang. When he was 25 years old he had a dream in which a monk gave him a scroll and instructed him to take five companions and go to the foot of the Tang valley where he would find a treasure. On the night of the full moon Pema Lingpa, along with his five younger brothers went to the edge of a lake. He stood on a large rock and saw a temple with many doors, of which only one was open. He dived into the lake and entered a large cave. It contained a throne, upon which sat a life-sized version of Lord Buddha. An old woman, with just one eye handed him a chest and he suddenly found himself on the edge of the rock beside the lake, clutching the treasure. Not knowing how to spread the word contained in the treasures, he hid away until one night the Dakinis, or female heavenly spirits, revealed to him the truth of all religions and imparted to him the power to preach. Legend tells us that as he spoke flowers dropped from the sky and vanished into rays of light.

His second discovery is his most famous. He had another vision that instructed him to return to the lake. He had been accused of being a fraud and there were many people gathered around the lake to witness the event. Pema Lingpa held a lighted lamp in his hand and proclaimed, ‘If I am a genuine revealer of your treasures, then may I return with it now, with my lamp still burning; if I am some devil, then may I perish in the water.’ He then jumped into the water and returned much later on the rock with the lamp still burning and holding a statue and a treasure chest. This lake is now known as Membartsho, or the burning lake and is situated in the Tang valley.

Tamshing Goemba was established by, Pema Lingpa in 1501. It is the most important Nyingma Goemba in the country. Pema Lingpa built this Goemba himself with some assistance from the ‘Khandroma’ (female celestial deities). The inner walls contain images painted by Pema Lingpa, but recent research has discovered even older paintings below the terton’s work

Below Tamshing Goemba stands Konchogsum Lhakhang. It was built in the 6th century but was renovated in 1995, which accounts for it’s fresh look. It contained a large bell and it is said that when this bell was rung it could be heard all the way in Lhasa in Tibet. During the 17th century a Tibetan Army tried to steal this bell but is was too heavy and they dropped it and cracked it. It is now displayed at the National Museum in Paro.

Pema Lingpa built the Kunzangdrak Goemba in1488 and his most important relics are kept here. This Goemba also hold a gilded bearing of his footprint. One of the buildings that the Goemba consists of was his house. Holy water seeps from the rock face above the Goemba.

Ugyen Chholing Palace was built in by Deb Tshogey Dorji; who was a descendant of Pema Lingpa .It was built sometime in the 16th century. There is a small Chorten beside the palace, which is supposed to be built above a boiling lake.