Just a 10-minute walk from the heart of Thimphu, at 2,250 meters (7,381 ft) above sea level, the National Institute of Zorig Chusum sits at coordinates 270° north and 890° east, humming with artistic devotion. Also known as the Institute of Traditional Arts and Crafts, it serves as Bhutan's guardian of the "Thirteen Arts"—Zorig Chusum—aesthetic and sacred skills.
Founded in 1971, the institute honours the vision of Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye, who formalized Bhutanese arts in 1680, and the spiritual lineage of Pema Lingpa, the 15th-century Terton who shaped Bhutanese creativity. Here, the whispers of chisels and paintbrushes echo alongside the spiritual gravity of centuries past.
Within its classrooms, monks and laypeople work side by side, their hands crafting religious art with the same precision as generations before. Eight formal programs span one to six years, with painting, embroidery (Tshemzo), and wood carving (Patra) now offered under a modern, competency-based model. 2018, the first batch earned national certificates, blending ancient mastery with future promise.
Disciplines include sculpture, calligraphy, papermaking, blacksmithing, silversmithing, bamboo weaving, and more. Once reserved for monasteries and temples, these arts now illuminate everyday life, weaving Bhutan's spiritual and cultural identity into every thread, stroke, and form.
Zorig Chusum is more than a school—it's a sanctuary of continuity, where each student carries forward a spark lit generations ago, keeping Bhutan's soul richly alive.
