The Tango-Cheri Monastery is a beautiful Buddhist monastery located 14 kilometres to the north of the capital city of Thimphu in Bhutan, near Cheri Mountain. It was founded by Lama Gyalwa Lhanampa in the 13th century and built in its present form by Tenzin Rabgye, the 4th Temporal Ruler of Bhutan, in 1688. The monastery itself is divided into 02 Goembas (or monasteries) – Cheri Goemba, which houses the residential complex for the monks, and Tango Goemba, which houses the Tango University, considered to be the premier university for Buddhist learning.
Tourists wishing to visit either monasteries must trek from a common entry point to the mountain. Along the trek, one may find thousands of small “tsa-tsa’s”, or miniature stupas, hidden among the cracks and crevices of the mountain, placed by pilgrims and families to ward off evil. The hike takes about an hour to either Goemba, but visitors are rewarded for their journey through picturesque views of the adjacent river and surrounding countryside.
