- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan festivals · 2027 guide
Jambay Lhakhang Singye Cham 2027: the lion dance at an ancient temple
A one-day winter festival at Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang, known for its snow lion dance. Expected on 13 December 2027.
- 13 December 2027
- Jambay Lhakhang, Bumthang
- One day
13 Dec
Expected date in 2027
1 day
Length of the festival
659
Traditional founding year of the temple
10 min
Drive from Jakar
About the festival
A quieter winter festival
Jambay Lhakhang, traditionally dated to 659, is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. Most visitors know it for the big Jambay Lhakhang Drup in November, with its fire blessing. A month later the temple holds a much smaller one-day festival, the Singye Cham, named after the dance of the snow lion.
The snow lion is a symbol of fearlessness and joy in Himalayan Buddhism and appears in many of the region’s dances. At Jambay Lhakhang the lion dance is performed alongside other cham in the temple courtyard. In mid-December the valley is cold and clear, the crowds are local and you may be one of very few foreign visitors.
- The snow lion dance
- A small winter festival
- Same day as Nalakhar and Druk Wangyel
Festival facts
Jambay Lhakhang Singye Cham 2027 at a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates in 2027 | 13 December 2027 |
| Venue | Jambay Lhakhang, Chhoekhor |
| District | Bumthang (central Bhutan) |
| Altitude | About 2,650 m |
| Getting there | About 10 minutes from Jakar |
| Weather | Cold, sunny days and freezing nights in December |
| Nearby | Kurjey, Tamshing, Jakar Dzong and Ngang Lhakhang |
| Entry | Free and open to visitors with a licensed guide; the SDF and visa rules apply as on any day |
Dates follow the Department of Tourism’s tentative festival list for 2027 and the lunar calendar. They can shift by a day or two, so we confirm them before you book flights.
What you will see
Highlights of Jambay Lhakhang Singye Cham
The snow lion dance
Dancers in lion costumes in the courtyard.
Masked dances
Other cham performed through the day.
Jambay Lhakhang
One of the oldest temples in Bhutan.
Local families
A small, friendly crowd.
Winter light
Clear skies over the Chhoekhor valley.
Blessings
Prayers at the temple of the future Buddha.
History and meaning
About the festival
The snow lion
In Himalayan Buddhism the snow lion represents fearlessness and a joyful mind. Lion dances appear in festivals across the region, and at Jambay Lhakhang the Singye Cham gives the day its name.
Jambay Lhakhang
The temple holds a statue of Jampa, the future Buddha, and is said to be one of 108 temples built by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo. Read more about it on our Jambay Lhakhang Drup page.
Planning
How to plan your visit
Planning a December visit
The Nalakhar Tshechu begins on the same day a short drive up the valley, so you can see both. If you are in the west instead, the Druk Wangyel Tshechu at Dochula is also on 13 December.
Etiquette
How to behave at a Bhutanese festival
Festivals are religious events first, so dress as you would for a temple: long sleeves and long trousers or a long skirt, and no hats inside the dzong or temple. Never walk across the dance ground, even when it looks empty between dances. Photography is usually allowed from the edges without flash, but some rituals and inner temples are off limits; your guide will tell you when to put the camera away. Ask before taking close-up portraits.
Arrive early for a good spot, bring water, a hat and a cushion or mat, and expect to be teased by the atsaras, the masked clowns who keep the crowd in order. If someone offers you food or a cup of tea, it is polite to accept. Our guide to Bhutanese festivals explains the dances in more detail.
Trips
Build a trip around Jambay Lhakhang Singye Cham
Every trip is private, so we can time it to the festival dates and add the places nearby.
Before you go
Travel rules for 2027
Every visitor except Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian nationals needs a visa, which costs USD 40 and is arranged by your tour operator. The Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027; children under 6 pay nothing and children aged 6 to 12 pay half. Indian visitors pay INR 1,200 per night. Tourists travel with a licensed guide beyond the first checkpoint and stay in certified hotels or homestays.
The SDF does not change during festival weeks, but hotel rooms near popular festivals fill early. See our visa and SDF guide and Bhutan travel rules.
Jambay Lhakhang Singye Cham: questions
Expected on 13 December 2027.
No. The Drup is a larger four-day festival in November; the Singye Cham is one day in December.
The dance of the snow lion, a symbol of fearlessness.
No. Bhutanese festivals are free. You attend with your licensed guide, who also explains the dances.
The Department of Tourism lists 13 December 2027 as the tentative 2027 dates. Lunar dates are occasionally adjusted, so we reconfirm before you book flights.
More festivals
Other festivals around the same time
See Jambay Lhakhang Singye Cham in 2027
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will check the festival date, hold hotels nearby and send a day-by-day plan with one price that includes the SDF, visa, guide and car.
Photo credits, via Wikimedia Commons: Jambay Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan (Arian Zwegers, CC BY 2.0); Jakar Dzong above the Chamkhar valley in Bumthang (Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0); Ngang Lhakhang, the Swan Temple, in Bumthang (Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY 2.0).
