One of the best things to see in Bhutan is the spectacular scenic view on the road as you travel around the country. Locating at 3,150 meters above see level, Dochula Pass is one of the most popular stop over en route Thimphu to Punakha. You may stretch your legs, take a short walk around the Chortens (pagodas), go to the temple or have a coffee break. On a good day, you will see a spectacular view of the Himalayas.
There are 108 Druk Wangyal Chortens (pagodas) commissioned by Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, the first wife of the Fourth King to commemorate the lost insurgents during an operation to flush out the invaders in South Bhutan, to tribute to the Fourth King of Bhutan, and for the well being of all sentiment beings. It’s a spiritual place for the locals and breathtaking stopping point for tourists.
The 108 pagodas were built around a small hill top. 108座佛塔沿山崗而建。There are 3 characters on these Chortens (pagodas) that are well respected by the Bhutanese. This is the Buddha. 佛塔上有3位不丹人民供奉的佛像及尊者。這是釋迦牟尼佛。The second one is Guru Rimpoche or commonly known as the “Second Buddha”. He was believed to be an incarnation of Buddha. 第二位是藏傳佛教蓮花生大士，被認為是釋迦牟尼轉世。The third one is Zhabdrug Ngawang Namgyal, founder of Nation State in Bhutan. He had built many Dzongs (fortresses) to defend against the invasion of Tibet in the 17th century. 第三位被供奉的是廈宗阿旺朗傑 Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal （夏宗法王），他於17世紀在不丹興建多座城堡，保衛及統一不丹，被視為佛教尊者，受人民供奉。 Most of the information online says that you may get 360 degree panoramic view of the Himalayas here. Well, this is the view of the other side not facing the Himalayas. So it’s more like 180 degrees. 很多網上資料都說可以看到360度環迴喜馬拉雅山景，這是山崗的另一邊，看不到喜馬拉雅山。所以說180度環迴景觀比較貼切。On a good day (which is pretty much autumn through spring), you may see the stunning view of Himalayas mountain range. 天氣良好的話（大部份秋天至春天的日子），可以遠看喜馬拉雅山山脈。This photo was taken with a long range lens. You may see even more close up using a 600 lens. 這張照片是用長鏡頭拍攝的，600mm 可以再拉近看。This signboard shows you the altitudes of each of the mountain top possible in sight. 這個牌就清楚介紹可以看到每座山的高度和名字。 This is the view and perspective of Himalaya from the pagodas. 我身處佛塔中，後面就是喜馬拉雅山，讓大家清楚看見山脈距離。There is a coffee shop in this famous stop over view point. It’s called Druk Wanguel Cafeteria. 由於是大景點，所有遊客都會在這裡停車，這裡有間餐廳，名字叫 Druk Wanguel 咖啡室。The round shape restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a nice view for a coffee break. 餐廳是圓形的，落地玻璃可以邊嘆咖啡邊欣賞風景。When you order a coffee in Bhutan, many places or your guide would serve some crackers to go with it. Sweet! 不丹飲咖啡，很多餐廳或你的導遊都會提供餅乾。很體貼！
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