Bhutan National Day

Taking place each year on the same date every year, December 17th, Bhutan’s National Day commemorates the coronation of the first king of Bhutan, Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuk, in 1907.

If you book Bhutan treks or tours of Bhutan around this date, you may be lucky enough to participate in the festivities. A procession and other festivities typically take place in Changlimithang National Stadium, in Thimpu. Inhabitants of the capital are joined by others who have flocked from all over Bhutan. Treks taking place at that time of year often build in time to allow visitors to enjoy the colourful andexciting event.

As part of the festivities, Her Majesty the Royal Grandmother, Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck, inaugurated an exhibition titled ‘Through the Lens of Time – Glimpses of the Unseen Images of Bhutanese Monarchs’. This exhibition will be open for public viewing in Thimpu from December 20th to January 14th and comprises rare images of Bhutan’s monarchs at different points in time. It will no doubt be a fascinating and unique exhibition, well worth a visit by anyone in the country on Bhutan treks or tours at that time.

This year important celebrations also occurred in Guwahati, Assam to renew age-old ties between the peoples of Bhutan and Assam.