Mongar Tshechu
Festival

The Region & Its History

Mongar — From Zhongar to the Bastion of Eastern Bhutan

The name Mongar conceals a deeper identity: the region was historically called Zhongar, and its people were the Zhongarps — a community whose Dzongpons (district governors) wielded significant military and political influence during the period of Bhutan’s unification under Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the 17th century. At its height, Zhongar’s power extended over the Dungsam region, covering what is now Samdrup Jongkhar and Pema Gatshel in the far southeast. The Dzongpons of Zhongar are credited with protecting and extending Bhutanese sovereignty in the east during the kingdom’s formative period.

The ruins of the old Zhongar Dzong — the original seat of this power — are still visible beside the highway at Lingmethang, just below the road leading up to Mongar town. Passing them on the approach to the festival is a quiet reminder of the region’s depth of history. The present Mongar Dzong, a gleaming white structure above the town, was built in 1953 at the direction of the third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck — one of the last major dzongs constructed in Bhutan. Its scale and whitewashed walls command the town and valley below.

Mongar District Today — Wood, Weaving, and Wildlife

Mongar district lies 450km east of Thimphu, enclosed by six neighbouring districts. The main road east from Bumthang to Trashigang runs through Mongar, making it a natural stopping point for travellers on the eastern circuit. The landscape is one of mid-altitude subtropical forest and terraced hillsides, with a climate warmer and more humid than the high valleys of western Bhutan.

The district is known across Bhutan for its wood carving tradition. Mongar craftsmen produce intricately carved bowls, furniture, religious objects, and architectural details in a style that is considered among the finest in eastern Bhutan. The tradition is passed within families and between master craftsmen and apprentices; the best workshops are found in the villages around the town. Visiting them during or after the festival is one of the most distinctive cultural experiences the region offers.

Mongar is also the main hub for travellers heading north to Lhuentse and the Kurtoe region, and south toward Pema Gatshel and Samdrup Jongkhar. The town has a relaxed, unhurried character and several good guesthouses. Festival time draws the largest and most diverse crowd of the year.

Getting to Mongar and Combining with Other Eastern Festivals

Mongar is reached by road from Bumthang (approximately 5–6 hours via the Thrumshingla Pass) or from Trashigang (approximately 2 hours). The nearest airport is Yongphulla in Trashigang, about 3 hours by road. Most visitors to the Mongar Tshechu arrive as part of a broader eastern Bhutan circuit, combining the festival with visits to Trashigang, Gomphu Kora (March/April), Chorten Kora (February/March), and in some years the Lhuentse Tshechu (December). The Mongar Tshechu in November fits well into an autumn eastern circuit following the Jambay Lhakhang Drup and Jakar Tshechu in Bumthang.

Things to See Near Mongar

• Ruins of Zhongar Dzong — visible beside the highway at Lingmethang, just below Mongar. The crumbling walls of the original Zhongar fortress are one of the most evocative historical ruins in eastern Bhutan.
• Drametse Lhakhang — 18km from Mongar on a dirt track, the largest and most important monastery in eastern Bhutan, founded by a granddaughter of Terton Pema Lingpa. The Drametse Ngacham — the drum dance inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list — originated here.
• Thrumshingla National Park — the road between Bumthang and Mongar crosses through the park via the Thrumshingla Pass (3,800m), one of the highest road passes in Bhutan. The temperate fir forests around the pass are extraordinary.
• Ngang Lhakhang — the Swan Temple, a 15th-century lhakhang in a narrow gorge below the Thrumshingla road, associated with a Tibetan lama who arrived by flying on a swan. One of the most atmospheric small temples in central-eastern Bhutan.
• Kuri Chhu valley — the road to Lhuentse runs north through the Kuri Chhu gorge, one of the most dramatic river-road combinations in eastern Bhutan, passing sheer cliffs and subtropical forest.