Gangtey Monastery and the Phobjikha Valley

Commonly called Gangtey Monastery, Gangteng Sangngak Chöling stands on a ridge above Bhutan’s Phobjikha Valley. It is a major monastery of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism and the seat of the Gangteng lineage within the Pema Lingpa tradition. Its foundation is traditionally dated to 1613 and attributed to Gyalsé Pema Thinley, a grandson of Pema Lingpa; the complex was later expanded by his successors.

The monastery remains an active religious institution. Its whitewashed walls, painted and carved woodwork, and patterned textile door curtains reflect Bhutanese monastic architecture. A major restoration from 2002 to 2008 repaired structural deterioration while preserving earlier carvings, paintings and architectural forms.

Below the monastery, Phobjikha is a high-altitude glacial wetland and one of Bhutan’s principal wintering areas for black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollis). The cranes generally arrive between late October and December and depart by mid-March for breeding areas on the Tibetan Plateau. Local tradition holds that they circle the monastery three times on arrival and again before departure.