An introduction to Bumthang

Bumthang is exceptionally charming and beautiful village located at the central part of the Bhutan. Bumthang directly translates as “beautiful field” – thang means field or flat place, and bum is said be an abbreviation of either bumpa (a vessel for holy water, thus describing the shape and nature of the valley), or simply bum (“girl,” indicating this is the valley of beautiful girls). The name is said to have arisen after construction of Jambay Lhakhang. Bumthang is rich in producing wheat and buck wheat. Bumthang farms yield buckwheat, dairy products, honey, apples, potato, rice, woolen products and many other products. The language spoken in the Bumthang district is known as Bumthangkha. It is a Tibeto-Burman language closely related to Dzongkha, the national language of Bhutan. Brokkat, an endangered Southern Bodish language, is spoken by about 300 people in the village of Dhur in Bumthang Valley. Historically, Bhumthangkha and its speakers have had close contact with speakers of Kurtöpkha to the east, Nupbikha to the west, and Khengkha to the south, to the extent that they may be considered part of a wider collection of “Bumthang languages.” The language is a remnant of pastoral yakherd communities. Bumthang is known to be the most sacred valley, hallowed 1,200 years ago by the visits of Padmasambhava (the great Buddhist master, called Guru Rinpoche or the Precious Teacher).

Bumthang District is one of the 20 dzongkhag (districts) comprising Bhutan. It is the most historic dzongkhag if the number of ancient temples and sacred sites is counted. Bumthang consists of the four mountain valleys of Ura, Chumey, Tang and Choekhor (“Bumthang”), although occasionally the entire district is referred to as Bumthang valley. Bumthangkha is partially comprehensible to speakers of Dzongkha, which originated in valleys to the west of Bumthang. Wheras the Wangchuck family originated in this Bumthang region of central Bhutan. Each of the four valleys of Bumthang has its own dialect, and the remnants of the Kheng kingdom, near and in Zhemgang District to the south, speak Khengkha. Because the dzongs and the most important temples are in the large Chokhor valley, it is commonly referred to as the Bumthang valley.

This is a fairly easy three-day trek that takes you through beautiful valleys and along clear, trout-filled rivers. Bumthang is often known as the ‘cultural heartland’ of Bhutan and there are plenty of ancient temples to visit during the hike.

In addition to the numerous lhakhangs there are also a number of small villages where you can stop and rest. The only segment of the trek that may prove challenging is a 500m ascent to Pephe La pass. The best time to embark on this trek is in spring or autumn.