In
Eastern Bhutan, there are few real valleys suitable for cultivation or
habitation. Most of the valleys are simply made of riverbeds and the
villages are perched high up along the slopes. This not a much traveled
region of the country, however is very much known for its growing of rice,
potatoes, lemon grass. It is also famous for its handloom textiles made from
the famous weft loom method. A popular description of a trail in Eastern
Bhutan is that it is up, up, up and down, down, down, up, up and up....
Eastern Bhutanese practiced shifting cultivation but nowadays, the
government discourages this.
Lhuentse, one of the main
places in the eastern Bhutan, is 77 kilometres from
Mongar and is
one of the most isolated districts in Bhutan. The landscape is spectacular
with stark cliffs and gorges and dense coniferous forests. The region is
notably famed for its weavers and special textiles and fabrics, generally
considered to be the best in the country.
The Kurtoe region of
Lhuentse is also the ancestral home of the Royal dynasty.
Mongar
is divided into 16 gewogs:
» Balam
» Chaskar
»
Chhali
» Dramtse
» Drepung
» Tsamang
»
Gongdue
» Jurmey
»
Kengkhar
» Mangat
» Ngatshang
» Saleng
»
Sherimung
» Silambi
» Thangrong
» Tsakaling
Lhuntse, previously
Lhuntshi, is one of the 20
dzongkhag (districts) comprising Bhutan. It consists of 2506 households
(Royal Government, Ninth Plan, pg. 2). Located in the northeast, Lhuntse is
one of the least developed dzhongkhags of Bhutan. There are few roads, and
the first gas station was opened as recently as September 2005. Electricity
is not well distributed and the difficult terrain makes distribution of
social welfare difficult. Despite its favourable climate, farming is also
hindered by the difficult infrastructure.
Lhuntse is divided into
eight gewogs (counties)
» Gangzur
» Jaray
»
Khoma
» Kurtoe
» Menbi
» Metsho
»
Minjay
» Tsenkhar
Trashiyangste is one of the 20
dzongkhag (districts) comprising Bhutan and is divided into eight gewogs
(counties)
» Bumdeling
» Jamkhar
»
Khamdung
» Ramjar
» Toetsho
» Tomzhangtshen
» Trashiyangtse
» Yalang
Trashigang, also
spelled as
Tashigang, is Bhutan's easternmost district. The
inhabitants of Trashigang district are mainly Sharchops, which means "easterner"
in Dzongkha, the national language. The Sharchops appear to mix Indian and
Tibetan blood whereas the Ngalops of central and western Bhutan appear to be
mainly Tibetan
While not a major urban area, Trashigang has the densest population in
Bhutan. It used to be part of an important trade route connecting Assam to
Tibet, and still is a primary route for Bhutanese trade with India. Major
cities include
Trashigang, Radhi, and Phongmey. The district
produces a lot of rice and lavender. There are several tourist packages to
Bhutan that include trips from Thimphu to Trashigang, despite the 17 hour
journey from the capital over the rough and dangerous Lateral Road.
Trashigang dzongkhag is also the site of Sherubtse College, the only college
within the Royal University of Bhutan system.
Trashigang Dzong,
or fortress, was built in 1659 by the third Druk Desi to defend against
Tibetan invaders. Because of its altitude, invading armies remarked "it
is not a dzong on the ground, it is in the sky". It is simply one of
the most memorable places in this district.
Trashigang is divided
into 16 gewogs or counties:
» Bartsham
» Bidung
»
Kanglung
» Khaling
» Lumang
» Merak
»
Nanong
» Radhi
» Sakten
» Samkhar
»
Shongphu
» Thrimsung
» UzorongYangneer of Wamrong
