Tiger's Nest Monastery (Tiger's Nest)

• Location:Taktsang Lhakhang,Taktsang Trail, Paro
• Open time:8:00-13:00,14:00-18:00
• Distance: 6.4 km (4 miles) round trip
• Total Ascent: 520 meters (1,700 feet)
• Highest Elevation: 3,120 meters (10,232 feet)
• Recommended duration: 4-7hours
• Transportation: Tiger Cave Temple is located on a cliff on the outskirts of Bhutan. It is recommended to rent a car or drive there to avoid running out of a car on the way back. The entire hike up and down the mountain takes about 4-5 hours. You can pay to ride a horse up the mountain.

Taktshang Goemba is the holiest Buddhist temple in Bhutan and is known as one of the top ten super temples in the world. The Tiger Cave Temple is located on a 3,000-foot cliff in the Paro Valley. The legendary second Buddha (the first Buddha was Sakyamuni Buddha), Master Padmasambhava, flew here on a tiger and once meditated in a cave, which is now the Tiger Cave Temple, making this place a place of Buddhist enlightenment.

Historical facts about Tiger's nest Temple

The Tiger’s Nest Temple was built in 1692, but was almost razed to the ground by a fire caused by a fallen butter lamp. However, surprisingly, only one Buddha statue of Guru Padmasambhava remained intact in the fire. Therefore, the reconstruction of Tiger Cave Temple began in 1998. After seven years, it was restored and reopened in 2005. Today, the Tiger's Nest Temple has become one of the most beautiful national business cards of Bhutan. It can be said that almost everyone who knows about Bhutan will definitely know about Tiger Cave Temple; whenever they come to Bhutan, they will basically go to Tiger’s Nest Temple.

Tiger’s Nest Temple hangs on a cliff above a stunning forest of blue pines and rhododendrons. The cypress trees around here are tens of meters high, with strands of moss hanging from them. A waterfall hangs in front of the mountain gate of Huxue Temple. The water flows over the rocks, pours into a deep pool, and then falls into the mountain col hundreds of meters deep below. Since this beautiful and unique monastery is a steep hillside (900 meters), a pony ride can be arranged, but only as far as the cafeteria. From there it's another steep walk and some narrow stairs leading up to the monastery itself. The path leads past a chapel of butter lamps and down to a waterfall next to the Snow Lion Cave. The view of Paro Valley from here is breathtaking, the atmosphere here is very sacred and it is a place that every Bhutanese wants to visit at least once in their life. This is where Guru Rinpoche brought Buddhism to Bhutan, riding on the back of a tigress.

Mural paintings in Tiger's Nest Temple

All the halls of Tiger’s Nest Temple are not very big, and many of them are built irregularly according to the mountains and the land; all the murals are painted on cloth first and then glued on the wall (This technique is also found in the pavilions of Norbulingka), somewhat similar to the painting method of thangka. This kind of painting-style mural is more delicate than painting on the wall, and its content is mostly about Dharma protectors such as Puba Vajra. In addition, the bronze Buddha statues in each hall are huge. Due to the small size of the room, people cannot fully appreciate these exquisite Buddha statues up close. Tiger’s Nest Temple is a temple integrating scenery and art.

The worship of genitals in the Tiger's Nest Temple

One of the most surprising things here, and particularly impressive, is the Bhutanese worship of genitals - incredibly, the Bhutanese worship of reproduction can be combined with serious Buddhist beliefs. Reproductive worship has also permeated folk art and culture, whether in the small town of Paro or the capital Thimphu, almost every household has a reproductive worship related objects hanging on the door. It is said that this custom is just like our Chinese people hanging a magic mirror and a gossip mirror at the door, the reason is the same, containing the function of exorcising evil spirits. In the main halls of some temples, in addition to the worship of Buddha, there are also objects related to reproductive worship.

The abbot of the temple also gently taps the visitors' heads with wooden genitals, which is said to bring good luck to visitors and contain the meaning of wishing them a safe journey. There are also brightly colored genital patterns at the door of the residence, where hibiscus stands out like water; Sometimes he will mischievously draw a sperm with a round head and a thin tail on the pointed head and float out. In Bhutan, men's toys can intimidate demons and ghosts; If a man is afraid to walk alone in the forest, just take off his pants, reveal the little monk to shake, and it will scare away the forest monster.

When is the best time to go to Tiger's Nest Temple?

The best time to visit Bhutan is from October to December, when the weather is clear and cool. The weather is always sunny, although it can get very cold during this time. Spring is also a good time to visit Bhutan. The weather starts to really heat up in May, and from June to September, the monsoon comes, it rains more and the temperature rises.

What do I need to bring?

Hiking shoes, lots of water, some snacks, and your camera. You can buy lunch or tea in the cafeteria.

Must-see tips

1. Entering Tiger's Nest Temple requires strict security checks and bags. Matches, lighters, cameras and mobile phones are not allowed to be carried inside the temple.

2. Please pay attention to the weather conditions when going to Tiger's Nest Temple. Please avoid slippery road in rainy days.

3. The climb is very steep, it is recommended to prepare hiking poles.

4. On the way to the mountain, you will pass a Taktsang Cafeteria, which has a good view of Tiger's Nest Temple.