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.

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    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, Punakha District, Bhutan

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

    Chimi Lhakhang, Punakha Valley, Bhutan

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

    Chimi Lhakhang monastery, Punakha Valley, Bhutan

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

    Chimi Lhakhang fertility temple, Punakha Valley, Bhutan

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

    Chimi Lhakhang village and agricultural landscape, Punakha Valley, Bhutan

    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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    Nearby Places

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    Druk Wangyal Chortens. — 11.5 kmBlack-necked Crane Centre — 29.7 km(Phobjikha Valley)Gangtey Goenpa Monastery — 30.1 km(Phobjikha Valley)