The College of Language and Culture Studies (CLCS) is situated 16 kilometers south of Trongsa town, towards Kuenga Rabten Palace along the Trongsa-Zhemgang highway. Kuenga Rabten used to be the winter residence of the second King, Jigme Wangchuck.\n\nEarlier, the institute was popularly known as the Rigney Lobdra. It came into existence on the 4th day of the 6th month of the Male Iron Ox Year corresponding to the 16th of July 1961 at Wangdi Tse, in Thimphu. It was established under the auspices of the late third King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. His Holiness the late Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche (1910-91), an accomplished and spiritual leader, was the first principal of the Lobdra (1961-63). The Lobdra started with a total of fifty students. Two months after its establishment, the Lobdra was relocated to Semtokha Dzong. It was housed inside the Dzong until the early eighties. Later the Dzong was taken over by Dratshang Lhentshog and the institute moved out of the Dzong. A separate site was created above the Dzong for the institute to function, and it has been operating in this location for the last two and half decades.\n\nInitially the institute started as a semi-monastic institute. It was only in 1989 that the original curriculum was revised for the first time to include several cultural subjects. The institute was upgraded to Rigzhung College in the same year. Forty-three female students were admitted for the first time, thus breaking the 27 year old tradition of admitting only males. The curriculum, however, remained largely influenced by the monastic system of education.\n\nIn 1997, the institute was formally upgraded to the Institute of Language and Culture Studies and implemented a new curriculum. The first batch of thirty-five ICSE passed students was admitted into the new programme. Of the 35 students, 9 were girls and 26 were boys.\n\n1999 was a landmark year in the history of clcs. The three-year bachelor’s program in ‘Language and Culture’ was introduced for the first time and a batch of nineteen students was admitted. It was, in fact, the first ever homegrown programme developed and executed in Bhutan without any external assistance.\n\nPrior to the establishment of the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB), clcs was under the Ministry of Education. Among the tertiary institutes of RUB, clcs was the first institute to be formally handed over to the RUB by the Ministry of Education on 28th April, 2004. A founding member of the Royal University of Bhutan, today clcs remains a premier institute.\n\nOver the years the institute has managed to maintain the momentum of academic progress. The institute, through the success of its graduates in different fields, has been able to create its own identity in the country. This distinction that clcs holds is reflected in the graduates that constantly feature in the top rankings of the RCSC common examination. The absorption rate of its graduates is currently 100% and the demand is increasing each year. The graduates of clcs have been faring well in their work place as well as in their lives.

The Phelchey Toenkhyim (Folk Heritage Museum of Bhutan) founded and established under the patronage of Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, was opened to visitors in July 2001, symbolizing yet another endeavor to safeguard and strengthen the intangible cultural heritage and skills of this society. It has dedicated itself to connecting people to the Bhutanese rural past. nPhelchey Toenkhyim attempts to preserve traditional artifacts, skills, and culture of Bhutan in efforts to make the daily lives of the Bhutanese people more widely known. These efforts were also made to reinforce the knowledge of their traditional lifestyle and culture before they disappear from everyday life and lose their practical value.\nThe museum also acts as a hub for village artisans to demonstrate their skills in craftsmanship as well as being used as an outlet for their products. Such programs provide opportunities for artisans to use their skills and instill enthusiasm in the minds of younger generations to learn contemporary trades. The museum has a particular appeal for younger generations in that it provides insight into the past while simultaneously demonstrating its relevance to the present for the future.

The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC) was launched in July 2007 to promote understanding of Laos’ ethnic diversity and advocate for the survival and transmission of Laotian cultural heritage. It is the only independent museum and cultural heritage center in Laos dedicated to the collection, preservation, and interpretation of the traditional arts and lifestyles of the country’s ethnic groups.\nCurrently, the Centre features exhibits, two brick-and-mortar fair trade shops with handicrafts produced by rural artisans, a small library, café, and kids’ activity area. The Centre received over 27,000 visitors in 2017 and has rapidly emerged as a regional leader in cultural heritage management and community development.\nAs an independent organization, TAEC receives no funding from the government. The Centre was started with seed money from private donors and two foundations. Now, the Centre’s admission fees, tourist-related services, and café and shop income cover day-to-day running costs, and the organization operates as a social enterprise, with all profits invested towards its mission.