The Paro dzong was started in 1644 on the order of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal

The Paro dzong was started in 1644 on the order of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of modern day Bhutan. Unlike most of the other dzongs in Bhutan, it survived the massive 1897 earthquake mostly unscathed, though it was damaged by fire in 1907. Most people like it in Bhutan tour.

Administrative offices line the first courtyard of the Dzong. The entrance is guarded by two traditional effigies standing on either side of the gate: a Mongol holding a tiger on a leash and a man holding a black yak. The Utse of the Dzong is one of the most beautiful in Bhutan with its outstanding woodwork.
Just above the Dzong stands the so-called Ta Dzong (watch tower). At present this tower houses the National Museum of Bhutan. In 1905 the Dzong caught fire, but was repaired in 1908/9 to its original state with the addition of statues of Guru Rinpoche, Buddha and the Zhabdrung. The most precious object of the Dzong, the Thongdroel, a 20×20 meter wide Thangka, was saved from the fire and is displayed in spring to the public during the Tshechu.