Gasa Dzong, Buddhist fortress in Gasa, Bhutan

Gasa Dzong, also called Gasa Tashi Thongmön Dzong, stands at 2,850 metres in northwestern Bhutan and serves as the administrative centre of Gasa Dzongkhag. The fortress was built in the 17th century by Tenzin Drukdra, the second Druk Desi, over a 13th-century meditation site founded by Drubthob Terkungpa, and was later enlarged by the fourth Desi, Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye, who placed ritual objects in the Guardian's Temple and performed its consecration.

Drubthob Terkungpa established a meditation site here in the 13th century; in the 17th century Tenzin Drukdra, the second Druk Desi, built the dzong over it as a bulwark against attacks from the north and named it Tashi Tongmön Dzong. The name was given in 1648, after the Zhabdrung renamed Gasa's protector deity Trashi Thongmoen. The fourth Desi, Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye, later expanded the dzong and placed ritual objects in the Guardian's Temple, where he performed the consecration. In January 2008 a fire that took ten hours to put out badly damaged the building.

The dzong's name, Tashi Thongmön, comes from a legend: when Zhabdrung came to Bhutan, the deity of Gasa travelled to Tsari Kibuthang in Tibet to greet him, and he renamed the deity Trashi Thongmoen. The dzong received the same name in 1648 because the deity was its protector. Locals say the landscape resembles Tsheringma, the goddess of long life, and the dzong stands on the chest of that image.

This fortress is accessible only on foot through mountainous terrain that demands good physical fitness and proper hiking preparation. The dry season offers the most reliable conditions for visiting, as weather and paths can be difficult during rainy months.

The dzong's full name, Tashi Thongmön Dzong, comes from a legend: when Zhabdrung travelled to Bhutan, the deity of Gasa went to Tsari Kibuthang in Tibet to greet him, and he renamed the deity Trashi Thongmoen. The dzong received the same name in 1648 because that deity was its protector. Locals say the landscape forms the image of Tsheringma, goddess of long life, with the dzong on her chest.