Dzong courtyard

The dzongs of Bhutan date back to the 1600's. Literally translated as "fortress," they were built at the time of unification of the individual warring states of the region into what is now modern-day Bhutan. Each district has a dzong as its political and spiritual center. The governor's office and all the district government offices are housed here, as well as the monk's quarters and temples. We were visiting the dzongda (governor) to talk about HIV/AIDS prevention activities in the district.