HANDICRAFTS EMPORIUM

Background

Handicrafts Emporium was set up with the primary responsibility of marketing handicrafts and undertaking other related activities in 1971.  It functioned as an extension of the Cottage Industry Division of the Department of Trade & Industry and was directly run and controlled by the Department.

In 1975, the government has withdrawn its budgetary support and it functioned as semi-autonomous, self sustaining organization under the administrative control of the Department of Trade and Industry.

The status of the Handicrafts Emporium was given a formal touch in 1984 when it was renamed as Handicrafts Development Corporation and incorporated under a Royal Charter.  A Board of Directors was formed to control, guide and supervise the management of the corporation.

In 1991, the National Women’s Association of Bhutan took over the Handicrafts Emporium from Ministry of Trade and Industry. The Handicrafts Emporium operates the Women’s Association’s market outlet for products from the National Handloom Development Centre, Khaling and Bhutanese Paper Factory, Mongar. It also undertakes the production of paintings, woodcrafts, embroidery, sculpting, etc in order to preserve the country’s age-old traditions.

Handicrafts Emporium serves not only as an outlet for the various items produced by the Bhutanese, but also helps preserve the national traditional arts and crafts. Every year thousands of tourists and nationals visit this center.

Located in the center of the capital city, Thimphu, the Handicrafts Emporium showcases over 100 different varieties of items ranging from traditional Bhutanese arts, crafts and musical items to modern representation of Bhutan in forms of T-shirts.

Handicrafts Emporium consists of two stories, the ground floor displaying various handloom made products as well traditional Bhutanese wear, gho's and Kira's. Jackets, T-Shirts, handbags, purses, accessories and many other items are also displayed here.

Books on art, culture, tradition, tours, treks in Bhutan are also displayed here for sale.

The first floor displays various religious items such as Thankas, Musical Items, Silver broches and other valuable gem and stone accessories.

While tourists buy items as memoirs, the experts visit the center to buy state-of-the-art traditional musical equipments. The corporates and householders have a choice of "Thankas" for either for their prayer rooms or for decoration.

The emporium also has the facility for accepting credit cards and dispatch of materials through DHL.

For further information, please contact :

Handicrafts Emporium

Head Office & Showroom :
THIMPHU :

Post Box 771, Norzin Lam,
Thimphu, Bhutan
Tel. : 00975-2-323245, 323246
Telefax : 00975-2-323732
Email: hdc@druknet.bt

BRANCHES :

PARO :

Shop No. 11, Paro Town, Bhutan
Tel. : 08-271211

Airport Terminal, Paro, Bhutan
Tel. : 08-272012

BUMTHANG :

Bumthang, Central Bhutan
Tel. : 03-631526

TRASHIGANG :

Rural Handicrafts Sales Centre
Telefax : 04-521150