The first impression one gets on entering Bhutan is the indigenous architecture. The village houses - built of wood, stone or mud - are adorned with traditional painting while wooden phalluses are hung on the eaves of the four corners.

Among the finest specimens are the monastic fortresses which sit on strategic hilltops or at the confluence of the rivers with their gently tapering walls, large courtyards and beautiful galleries.

The combination of engineering skill and aesthetic beauty is unparalleled in all structures, from the massive fortresses to houses and bridges. Traditional shapes, colours and patterns on the walls, doors and windows, put the Bhutanese architecture in a class of its own.