Wangdue Phodrang District (
Dzongkha: དབང་འདུས་ཕོ་བྲང་རྫོང་ཁག་;
Wylie:
Dbang-'dus Pho-brang rdzong-khag; previously spelled "Wangdi Phodrang") is a
dzongkhag (district) of central
Bhutan. This is also the name of the
dzong (built in 1638) which dominates the district, and the name of the small market town outside the gates of the dzong. The name is said to have been given by the
Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal who was searching for the best location for a dzong to prevent incursions from the south. The word "wangdue" means unification of Country, and "Phodrang" means Palace in
Dzongkha.