Chimi Lhakhang, Punakha District, Bhutan

Chimi Lhakhang, also known as Chime Lhakhang, is a Buddhist monastery in Punakha District, Bhutan, set amid cultivated fields and low hills in the Punakha Valley. The temple is associated with Lama Drukpa Kunley and is a significant cultural and pilgrimage site.

Chimmi Lhakhang

Landmark

Chimi Lhakhang is a small hilltop Buddhist temple set above the Punakha Valley in central Bhutan, surrounded by terraced fields and traditional villages. The site is closely associated with the teachings of Lama Drukpa Kunley and is one of Bhutan’s most culturally distinctive pilgrimage locations.

27.48330, 89.86670

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Gallery

Chimi Lhakhang, also known as Chime Lhakhang, is a Buddhist monastery in Punakha…

Interior courtyard at Chimi Lhakhang, showing traditional Bhutanese wall paintin…

Interior prayer room at Chimi Lhakhang, showing traditional Bhutanese wooden des…

Prayer pavilion at Chimi Lhakhang, where a woman circles a traditional prayer wh…

Daytime view across terraced fields and village settlement surrounding Chimi Lha…

Quick Facts

Access

Drive

Elevation Gain

1300 m

Best Light

Morning

Afternoon

Sunset

Overcast

Crowds

Medium

Restrictions

Drone Often Restricted

Private Property

Visitors must follow temple etiquette. Shoes are removed before entering interior spaces. Photography inside religious buildings may be restricted or prohibited; always ask locally.

Photography Notes

Chimi Lhakhang is approached via a footpath through open rice fields, offering layered views of cultivated plains, low hills, and the monastery set against the valley backdrop. Compositions often work best from the approach path and surrounding fields rather than within the temple courtyard. Overcast light and soft afternoon sun help balance whitewashed walls with surrounding greenery, while seasonal crops add texture and scale to wider frames.

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