The capital city of Thimphu lies in the broad fertile valley of the Wang Chu River at an altitude of 7,500 ft. Once a rustic village, Thimphu today has a population of over 34,000 people. At the entrance to the valley, seven kilometers from the capital, on a breezy hill top rises Simtokha Dzong, Bhutan's most ancient fortress. Built by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1627, it was the country's first official centre of social and religious education.
A striking example of the preservation of ancient skill in Bhutan is Tashichho Dzong ("Fortress of the Glorious Religion"), standing in the valley alongsile the river bank, surrounded by groves of fresh young willows and poplars and an ornamental garden of roses.Another landmark that rises above the shingles and more recently constructed green-weathered roofs of Thimphu, is the gold topped Stupa built in memory of the Late King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, popularly known as the Father of modern Bhutan.
