Gasa District (; , also མགར་ས་རྫོང་ཁག) is one of the 20 (districts) comprising Bhutan. The capital of Gasa District is Gasa Dzong near Gasa. It is located in the far north of the county and spans the Middle and High regions of the Tibetan Himalayas. The dominant language of the district is Dzongkha, which is the national language. Related languages, Layakha and Lunanakha, are spoken by semi-nomadic communities in the north of the district. The People's Republic of China claims the northern part of Gasa District.
Gasa has an area of ,[
]
It had a population of 3,116 as of the 2005 census,
History
Gasa was formerly a
drungkhag (sub-district) of the
Punakha District dzongkhag (district). It became a separate
dzongkhag in 1992, the start of 7th Five Year Plan.
Administrative divisions
Gasa District is divided into four village blocks (or
):
[
]
Geography
Gasa is bordered to the north by Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China and by
Thimphu District,
Punakha District, and Wangdue Phodrang dzongkhags to the south.
Economy
Gasa has become a tourist destination because of its pristine forests and the exceptionally scenic location of its
Dzong. In 2008 a massive flood on the
Mo Chhu (Female River) destroyed a popular hot spring complex, which is under restoration and was to re-open in late 2011. The high altitude makes farming difficult, although government programs seek to establish
Mustard plant and summer vegetable planting programs. Residents herd
and
, and a small number benefit from the nascent tourism industry. A narrow road from Punakha, which is mostly unpaved, reaches up to the Dzong and is now being extended up to Laya. The majority of the known herds of wild
Takin occur in Gasa. Electricity is also being supplied to some of the
and all electrification programs are expected to be completed by 2012.
Gasa is most famous for its Layap people and the Snowman Trek, one of the most challenging treks in the Himalayas.
Environment
All of Gasa is an environmentally protected area of Bhutan. Most parts of the dzongkhag lie within Jigme Dorji National Park (
Khamaed Gewog,
Khatoed Gewog,
Laya Gewog,
), although the northeast reaches of Gasa are part of Wangchuck Centennial Park (
Lunana Gewog).
Several of Bhutan's glaciers are located in Gasa, namely in
Lunana Gewog, which borders Tibet.
Tourism
Gasa Dzong
Also known as Gasa Dzong was built in the 17th century by Ngawang Namgyal as a defensive fortress against northern attacks in 1646.
Sabhi Goenpa
Tshechu Drak
Tshechu Dra is a sacred cliff of longevity is located in the Panikong village where Padmasambhava is said to have extracted longevity water from a cliff to benefit sentient beings.
Zabsel Drubdey Rawai Drubdey
Gasa Tshachu
Gasa Tshachu is a hot spring near the bank of the Mo Chhu River in Gasa at an elevation of 2100 meters, believed to cure 13 different types of diseases. It is one of the most popular hot springs in Bhutan.
Bjagay Menchu
Festival
-
Annual Gasa Tshechu
-
Royal Highland Festival
-
Laya Run
Climate
See also
