Welcome to RTA
Her Majesty Gyalyum (Queen Mother) Sangay Choden Wangchuck
Weaving is an integral component of the culture and tradition of Bhutan. With the aim to preserve and promote this living art, the Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan was instituted in May 2005 under the patronage of Her Majesty Gyalyum (Queen Mother) Sangay Choden Wangchuck as a non-government, non-profit organization.
The RTA was registered as a Civil Society Organization in line with the Civil Society Organizationโs Act of Bhutan – 2007 on June 13, 2011 (Registration no. CSOA/PBO-12).
September 1, 2025
Under the benevolent Royal Patronage of Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck, the Royal Textile Academy (RTA) continues to realize its noble mandate of safeguarding Bhutanโs priceless textile heritage while uplifting the lives of our [โฆ]
April 23, 2025
Every year, artisans from across the country submit their best work of art for the National Design and Art Competition. Nearly 90 artisans competed in this yearโs edition, a slight increase from last year. The [โฆ]
December 18, 2024
The Royal Textile Academy is delighted to announce that Aum Sithar Lhamo, a 90-year-old master weaver from Khoma, Lhuentse, is the first recipient of the Living Legend Award titled ‘๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐จ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐๐คโ๐ฌ [โฆ]
Our Programs
The Weaving School
The Weaving School trains students in traditional weaving, the art of yarn dyeing, contemporary skills related to design and color combinations, and also basics on business and book-keeping skills. As of June 2016, eleven batches comprising of more than 200 trainees have completed their training from the school.
The Textile Museum
The RTA operates a state of art museum to display its collection of artifacts to further the understanding of Bhutanโs rich textile traditions and way of life. The Museum consist of two galleries: The upper gallery which has a permanent display of the various types of textile weaves in the country and the lower gallery that showcases temporary exhibitions on special themes. These temporary exhibitions usually run for nine months.
The Textile Conservation Centre
The RTA is one of the first institutions in the country practicing and imparting internationally accepted methods and techniques of conservation and preservation of the priceless textiles and other artifacts. The conservation centre has not only been responsible for the preservation and conservation of our artifacts but also provided our service to restore many pieces from several Dzongs and monasteries in Bhutan.