Haa's 100-strong monk body is housed not in Haa's dzong (fort monastery) but in the recently renovated Lhakhang Kharpo (White Chapel) complex, just south of the dzong. The atmospheric central chapel has statues of the Tse-la-nam Sum trinity (central Tsepame, Namgyelma and Drolma) and of local protector App Chhundu, and there are also a couple of bamboo-framed mannequins once used during cham (ritual dances).
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
22.61 MILES
This splendid dzong, north of the city on the west bank of the Wang Chhu, dominates the valley, looking out over a cascade of terraced fields. It's…
9.83 MILES
The 'Tiger's Nest Monastery' is one of the Himalaya's most incredible sights, miraculously perched on the side of a sheer cliff 900m above the floor of…
7.29 MILES
Kyichu Lhakhang is one of Bhutan's oldest and most beautiful temples. The main chapel has roots as far back as the 7th century, with additional buildings…
21.8 MILES
This traditional Bhutanese temple perched like a fortress on a ridge above central Thimphu hums with pilgrim activity. It was established in the 12th…
22.38 MILES
Thimphu's best museum is part of the Royal Textile Academy. It features a stunning display of ancient and modern textiles, and explores the rich…
8.99 MILES
Paro Dzong ranks as a high point of Bhutanese architecture. The massive buttressed walls that tower over the town are visible throughout the valley,…
23.55 MILES
About 5km south of Thimphu on the old road to Paro and Phuentsholing, the handsomely proportioned Simtokha Dzong was built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang…
9.17 MILES
Perched above Paro Dzong is its ta dzong (watchtower), built in 1649 to protect the undefended dzong and renovated in 1968 to house the National Museum…
Nearby attractions
0.17 MILES
A 10-minute walk or short drive behind the Lhakhang Kharpo is the grey-walled Lhakhang Nagpo (Black Chapel), one of the oldest temples in the Haa valley…
0.62 MILES
Haa's small dzong, known formally as Wangchuck Lo Dzong, is one of Bhutan's newest, built in 1915 to replace a smaller structure. It is inside the Indian…
0.68 MILES
A short excursion up the valley behind the Lhakhang Kharpo is Shelkar Drak (Crystal Cliff), a tiny, charming retreat centre perched on the limestone cliff…
2.37 MILES
About 1km north of Haa, just before the main bridge, a paved road branches east 1km to Katsho village, from where you can take a lovely 40-minute hike to…
3.61 MILES
Established as a meditation site in the 9th century and reputedly the oldest nunnery in Bhutan, Kila Nunnery is reached via a dirt road and short walk…
4.45 MILES
This monastery in the upper Haa valley is worth visiting, especially if you are heading on the Saga La trek. The charming upper chapels feature murals…
5.23 MILES
Eleven kilometres north of Haa is this recently rebuilt local temple, one of several shrines dedicated to the valley's protective deity. Blue-faced App…
6.8 MILES
The visually splendid but little-visited cliffside retreat of Dzongdrakha Goemba is one of several local sites where Guru Rinpoche did battle with local…