Would it be possible to indicate the name of the sites in your pics please (especially the one from the last review)? Cheers.

"
Sure -
The Dzongs (the latest one - I have 1 more to do)
The review says - "I attach one such digitised photo of Trongsa dzong - the largest in Bhutan and wonderfully situated" but perhaps it got lost among all my text!!
Sacred Sites associated with Phajo Drugom Zhigpo and his descendants
It is of Taktshang (Tiger's Lair) - I presumed this was clear as the review was all about it and I said I hadn't visited any of the other potential sites
Ancient Ruin of Drukgyel Dzong
Indeed 2 photos of Drukgyel - 1 from NG and 1 mine

Thanks Paul. Might be my fault then. The photo of Trongsa Dzong is stunning - I'd be willing to visit to see this place alone!

Els/Clyde
If Clyde doesn't mind I wonder if the title to this topic could be changed to "Bhutan World Heritage" and moved to the country section? Then Clyde or Els could move the reference to me into the text of his first post and the whole topic becomes "person neutral"!?

In doing research for my reviews I have been coming up with a number of documents and issues regarding Bhutan and World Heritage and it would be useful to have a topic to file them under and possibly to discuss them.

I have been looking up what there is about Trongsa on the Web in relation to World Heritage
a. It appears that Austria has a long term and ongoing relationship with Bhutan to assist it in preserving its tangible heritage and has been working at Trongsa
b. This document from 2007 describes some of the activities Austria has been carrying out with particular reference to Trongsa. But of more general interest it suggests why Bhutan was very slow to get involved with World Heritage nominations e.g The Government of Bhutan "decided not to declare the Dzong a UNESCO heritage site due to dissociation with the (western) approach to conservation, which they find is not applicable in the Bhutanese context. This however, seems to be based on the misunderstanding that UNESCO heritage sites cannot be used as "living structures"" See more in - http://www.entwicklung.at/uploads/media/4421_bhutan___field_report_01.pdf
c. The Bhutan government must have overcome the concerns highlighted in 2007 - presumably with lobbying by Austria and UNESCO etc but still took until 2012 to put forward a T LIst . I woner if it was coincidence that this period (2007 -12) was the same as the period across which Bhutan transitioned from an absolute (albeit benevolent) monarchy to a representative democracy

I also discovered this little 2 page brochure from c 2000 (or a little bit earlier??) about what the Austrians had been doing. I rather like its highlighting of this problem "The installation of sanitary facilities in the last 20 years, which has led to increased water consumption in the dzong, as well as the negligent maintenance of the traditional courtyard drainage systems have considerably aggravated the impact of heavy rains and earth quakes, but have also increased wall sagging and cracking in the recent years "
http://www.p-b-export.at/db_consultants/upload_projekte/403__testimonial.pdf

Done!

thanks Els!

"I couldn't resist attaching the 3rd version of the current look with Solivagant's picture. If he disapproves he will surely let me know in the forum but I didn't want to ask and spoil the "surprise"". - Zoe review

Not at all Zoe - and certainly a "surprise" to see what has happened to Drukgyel!!

I just had another look at the Sacred Sites associated with Phajo Drugom Zhigpo and his descendants TWHS. I had copied the coordinates as given by the State Party on the UNESCO website, but they don't make much sense. Some are all in the same location, or at a random spot in a town. Except for the Tiger's Nest, these are old and remote temples and caves. I managed to find some sources that indicate their true locations, although sometimes vague or under a slightly different name.

Still missing:
- Jago dzong (T)
- Tsendong dowaphu (T)
- Langthangphu (T)
- Sengyephu (T)
- Gawaphu (T)

The others may need a second opinion as well.

Have only looked at this one so far.
I think it is what is elsewhere titled Lingzhi Jagoe Dzong
See this ...."located at Gangyul village..." The description confirms its linkage to Phajo Drukgom Zhigpo otherwise there could be a concern since the word "Jago" is commonly used in Bhutan as a toponym so could be used at many sites and this location is set away from others in the series.

Google maps has it a bit too far up the mountain but also has Bjagoe Dzong at 27.890401490816053, 89.43811173907571
which seems to be correct and matches the photo in the link.

Described here as "Sacred Place of Tsendong Dowaphu at Lamgong, Paro. Situated at an altitude of 2850 metres , the sacred place of Tsendong Dowaphu can be reached in about thirty minutes from ( the right side of ) Sangchen Chokhor Monastery.".

This is near Paro which agrees with the statement in the UNESCO description "These sites include the key twelve sites of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo; four Dzongs (fortress), four Drags (cliff) and four Phugs (caves) scattered within Thimphu, Paro, Punakha and Gasa districts"

Unfortunately it is NOT marked more clearly on Google maps so I suggest using the coordinates of Sangchen Chokhoe monastery? An alternative could be to arbitrarily choose a spot not too far to its "right".
Herewith the former suggestion - 27.456437918208128, 89.38928306813885

Am pretty sure that this refers to a place now called "Lungthangphu" (or "Lungtenphu") just outside Thimpu. Unofrtunately there is nothing of note regarding caves ( = "Phu"/"Phug") there on Google maps - indeed it seems to have become an important spot for the Royal Bhutan Army.

I also found a book with this paragraph (my bold/CAPS and formatting) -
"he went to meditate at all the 12 meditation sites of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo.
These sites were Yangtse Thuwo Dzong, which is the site of Tango Choeing Phodrang, Taktshang Sengye Samdrup Dzong, Choeing Dzong at the base of Mount Jomo Lhari, which is the seat of Gyalwa Lorepa, and Lingzhi Jagoed Dzong, which constitute the FOUR GREAT DZONGS.
Other sites were the FOUR GREAT CLIFFS: Gongda located above Nangkor in Chang, Paro, Puemodraka known as Thujeda and located in Phajuding, Goen Dutsidra, known today as Tshechudra and Shah Dechendra located in Khothangphu.
The FOUR GREAT CAVE sites were Dohaphu in Tsendong, Gawaphu in Thed, Sangayphu in Dagala and Langthangphu.
He meditated in all these sacred sites and became an accomplished yogi."

So this mentions 12 of the 16 locations of this T List site and gives some indication of their position within Bhutan. See later for the others.....
We are looking for
Gawaphu in Thed - unfortunately I can find absolutely NO reference on the Web to anywhere in Bhutan called "Thed"!!! It appears to have been an "old" area name. It is also mentioned in another paragraph as follows - "Phajo Drugom Zhigpo gave his sons advices and instructions regarding the Dharma and for looking after his patrons. He appointed his son Garten as the lama and ruler of Dung, Hed and Dong and as the authority of eastern Bhutan. Nima was appointed as the lam and ruler of Gung and Chang, and as the authority of the frontier territories; Wangchuk was appointed the lama and ruler of Thed and controller of Wodi"
Sangayghpu in Dagala - Dagala is a short distance south of Lungthanphu in the Thimpu area but the "Phu" isn't identified on Google maps

We could just choose the Lungthanphu and Dagala locations for 2 of the "phu"?

So - if 12 of this T List site's 16 locations are the "12 meditation sites" consisting of 4 Dzongs, 4 Cliffs and 4 Caves - how does it get to 16 in total?
The UNESCO description states "Other five sites had been the regional centers of the five clans of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo's descendants who controlled over different regions; Hungrelkha in Paro, Dodeyna and Changangkha in Thimphu, Wachen in Wangduephodrang and Goen Sangmey in Punakha.". But this makes 12 + 5 = 17 NOT 16!!!!

I have tried to allocate the locations to Dzong, Phu/Cave. Cliff and Clan Centre but it still doesn't add up as we seem to have 5 Caves and only 3 cliffs! Also the Clan Centre of Goen Sangmey mentioned in UNESCO doesn't seem to figure in the 16 (each location has its UNESCO number and the coordinates are the orignal UNESCO ones as possibly being useful in identifying "clusters" of locations).
15) Wachen: N27 30 00 E90 10 00 CLAN CENTRE
13) Hungrelkha: N27 35 28 E89 52 38 CLAN CENTRE
14) Changkhag: N27 35 28 E89 52 38 CLAN CENTRE
16) Dodeyna: N27 35 28 E89 52 38 CLAN CENTRE
6) Thujedrab(aka Puemodraka): N27 28 00 E89 38 30 CLIFF
5) Gomdra: (aka Gongda) N27 30 00 E89 20 00 CLIFF
8) Tshechudra (Aka Goen Dutsidra) N27 55 00 E89 40 59 CLIFF
2) Yangthe Thuwo Dzong: N27 28 00 E89 38 30 DZONG
4) Tango (aka Yangtse Thuwo Dzong) N27 28 00 E89 38 30 DZONG
3) Taktshang: N27 30 00 E89 20 00 DZONG
1) Jago Dzong: N27 38 59.99 E91 09 00 DZONG
7) Draphu Senge gyaltshen: N27 28 00 E89 38 30 PHU (????) Not listed as one of the "4 great caves" above but described here as such - https://www.facebook.com/pilgrimagesitesinbhutan/posts/draphu-senge-gyaltshen-of-guru-rinpoche-draphu-senge-gyaltshen-is-one-of-the-fou/575448197579055/
10) Langthangphu: N27 28 00 E89 38 30 PHU
9) Tsendong dowaphu: N27 30 00 E89 20 00 PHU https://www.facebook.com/147962355782812/posts/sacred-place-of-tsendong-dowaphu-at-lamgong-parosituated-at-an-altitude-of-2850-/1185628802016157/
12) Gawaphu: N27 35 28 E89 52 38 PHU
11) Sengyephu: N27 35 28 E89 52 38 PHU

More work and thought needed? Or maybe it just doesn't "add up"!!

Maybe it doesn't. But we have now improved the listings a lot, thank you for the work.
Will add the locations shortly, so we can see how they are placed relative to each other.