Folk Heritage Museum, Traditional museum in Kawajangsa, Thimphu, Bhutan

The Folk Heritage Museum, also called Phelchey Toenkhyim, occupies a three-story 19th-century house of rammed mud and timber that is over 150 years old and once belonged to the local chieftain Kawang Mangkey. Its ground floor, the Okhang, resembles a barn; the Barthog above holds a store room called Phuna; the top Thabtshang serves as living and dining area. Tall narrow Gyelkha windows light and air the rooms, and a Choesham altar honours ancestors.

The museum opened on 28 July 2001, founded on the initiative of Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck. It occupies a three-storey rammed mud and timber house over 150 years old that belonged to the local chieftain Kawang Mangkey.

The building itself represents traditional architecture from the Wang region, with different floors showing how rural families organized their homes. Spaces for living, animals, and spiritual practices reveal the values that shaped daily household routines.

Walking through the three floors allows visitors to explore different spaces and understand how objects were used in daily life. Most items are clearly labeled, making it easy to follow what each piece was for.

The house reveals how animals lived directly below the family space, showing the close connection between people and livestock in rural Bhutan. This arrangement was both practical and helped distribute warmth throughout the structure.