Our Projects
Support the monks and nuns grow into
the next generation of Bhutan’s heritage custodians
2025 and Beyond
Training the Next Generation of Conservators
For the first time, Bhutanese nuns will join our conservation initiatives, beginning with paper conservation in 2026, followed by object and textile workshops.
International experts including Eddie Jose (Philippines) and Masaki Handa & Ikuko Handa (Japan) will lead intensive, hands-on training programs ranging from one week to three months.
By the end of 2026, we aim to train 20 conservators, forming a skilled team dedicated to safeguarding Bhutan’s sacred manuscripts, artifacts, and textiles.
Outcome
A new generation of trained custodians equipped to preserve Bhutan’s heritage and pass these vital skills forward, ensuring conservation becomes a sustainable, homegrown practice for generations to come.
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Research
Sacred Manuscript Preservation Initiative
The Zhung Dratshang holds a vast and invaluable collection of sacred manuscripts, many foundational to Bhutan’s art history and cultural scholarship.
Over the past three years, our pilot digitization program has preserved hundreds of these fragile texts.
Our Goal
By 2030, we aim to complete the digitization of sacred manuscripts of Zhung Dratshang across Bhutan, creating secure offline and online archives. This will protect these treasures from natural disasters, theft, and deterioration, while making them accessible for research, education, and cultural understanding.
Art History Research - Continued Support
A three-month research workshop has begun extracting critical insights from the Zhung Dratshang manuscript repository. With continued funding, we will systematically document and interpret Bhutan’s sacred iconography, artistic traditions, and historical context, deepening national and scholarly understanding of Bhutanese art history.
Large-Format Scanner – Urgent Need
Bhutan’s most sacred and fragile manuscripts are quietly fading with time.
With USD 30,000 already committed by the Zhung Dratshang, we seek USD 50,000 in matching funds to complete this effort.
Your support will fund:
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A professional large-format scanner
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Training for monks and nuns
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Digitization of 100+ rare manuscripts
Outcome: A comprehensive, secure, and accessible digital archive that preserves sacred knowledge, strengthens research, and safeguards Bhutan’s heritage for generations to come..
Project Digitize Dratshang
Over the past three years, we have successfully piloted the Digitize Dratshang initiative, digitally documenting over 6,000 sacred artifacts across six districts in Bhutan.
Why it matters
Digitization creates a comprehensive national database, including high-resolution images, provenance records, and historical details of every statue, thangka, manuscript, and painting.
By securely recording these priceless treasures, we create a critical reference inventory in the event of fire, floods, theft, or deterioration.
Outcome
By 2030, a fully documented, secure, and accessible digital archive of Bhutan’s sacred heritage—preserving history for scholars, monastic custodians, and future generations.
