We are 2,250 meters (7,381 ft) above sea level—just under 1 km (0.6 miles) from Thimphu’s city centre and a five-minute walk from Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital. Positioned at 270° north and 890° east, the Memorial Chorten rises gracefully, its golden spire gleaming against the Himalayan sky.

Constructed in 1974 by Queen Mother Ashi Phuntsho Choden Wangchuck to honour her son, the late Third King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, this stupa fulfils his last wish to manifest the Three Pillars of Buddha—Body, Speech, and Mind. He commissioned 100,000 statues of Buddha (Body) and wrote 108 volumes of Kanjur and Tenjur in gold script (Speech), but before he could realize the final act (Mind), he passed away in 1972 while seeking treatment.

The Queen Mother completed the Mind offering with Home Minister Tamzhing Jakar and Dhungsey Thinley Norbu Rinpoche overseeing its spiritual design. In 2008, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck restored the paintings. 2015, the grounds expanded to mark the Fourth King’s 60th birthday.

Walking beside Bhutan’s senior citizens, you witness prayer wheels turning, mantras murmured in rhythm, and devotion flowing like a quiet river. The corten’s annexes house deities, and each level deepens spiritual reflection. It’s not just a monument—it’s a living legacy, pulsing with faith in Bhutan’s rapidly modernizing heart.