Facts about Bhutan

There is a place on earth where even the most seasoned travellers consider a privilege to visit. There is a place on earth that is voted one of the world’s top travel destinations. There is a place where happiness is more than a dream.  This is the Kingdom of Bhutan, Druk Yul, the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Bhutan, perched on the eastern Himalaya between India and Tibet, is a small, developing independent country in south-central Asia.

Capital: Thimphu

Population: 672,425

Country Size: 38,394 sq.km

Language: Dzongkha (national language), English (widely spoken)

Currency: The Ngultrum

Time: GMT +6

Cultures and traditions

Architecture

Bhutan’s architecture is one of the best expression of Bhutan’s unique character. Bhutan’s architecture is in the form of Dzongs (fortresses), Gompas (monasteries), Chortens (shrines/stupas) and Lakhangs (temples).

Dzongs (fortresses) are structures with tapering walls and large courtyards.

Gompas (monasteries) are the testimony of the spiritual nature of Bhutan and its people.

 

Chortens (shrines/stupas) represents the deep faith of the Bhutanese. 

 Lakhangs (temples) are to overcome evil demons.

These architectures are built such that no nails are used and wood pieces assembled by the dovetail technique. Bhutanese architectures generally have trefoil shaped windows, with the windows size increasing with the stories. They have sloped whitewashed walls and the pitched roofs are covered with shingles and weighed down with stones.

Another form of architectures is the traditional Bhutanese houses. The main material used in traditional houses is stones, mud, bamboo and wood. Bhutanese houses normally have alters where they pray at. Traditional Bhutanese houses are a lovely sight in Bhutan.

Arts and Crafts

The arts and crafts of Bhutan are steeped in Buddhism. The relationship between arts and crafts and Buddhism is extremely intimate. Every form of art depicts certain important values associated with spiritual experience.  Arts and crafts are evident in the Dzongs. Within their walls are printings and statues representing important religious figures. The many illustrations serve as the allegory of struggle between good and evil. Bhutanese artists follow tight traditional conventions, rather than innovation. Unlike many places, the arts and crafts on sale in Bhutan are used by Bhutanese for daily life and for religious practice, instead of for the tourist market.

Bhutanese women are skilled at weaving. They often make their own clothing, table cloth and several items for religious use. Embroidery is a favourite art. This is often put to use for religious purposes when they make costumes for the ritual dances performed at festivals.

Religion

Bhutan’s religion is Mahayana Buddhism. It is the only country in the world whereby the religion is endorsed by the government through subsidiaries to monasteries and Chortens. Bhutan’s religion is an important factor in the cultural and sociological development of Bhutan and its people. Chortens and prayer flags along the roadside of Bhutan are a common sight. Monasteries, convents and temples in villages are also a common sight.

Birth

As babies in Bhutan are viewed as progenitors of future, Bhutanese do not discriminate against the gender of the baby. Babies are always welcomed. Because of the strong beliefs that Bhutanese have, after the first three days of the baby’s birth, outsiders are kept away from the mother and baby. On the third day, a short purification ritual (Lhabsang) is performed and thereafter, outsiders pay visits to the new born baby. The baby is not immediately named. It is only named when both the mother and baby will visit a local temple to receive blessings from the local deity. The name given to the baby is associated with the deity. Sometimes, the baby is named on the day of birth.

Marriage

In the olden days, Bhutan followed arranged marriages. Now, marriages are based on the people’s own accord. Marriages are normally kept as simple affairs. However, elaborate rituals are performed for the bride and the groom for a long-lasting marriage. Gifts in the form of cash and good are presented to the newlyweds after the religious ceremony comes to an end.

Dress

The Bhutanese men wear a ‘Gho’, a garment that reaches just to their knees that is tied at their waist by a cloth belt also known as the ‘kera’.

The Bhutanese women wear a ‘Kira’, a long robe which is wrapped around the body covering form neck to ankle. They usually wear heavy silver and gold necklaces with coral, turquoise and other previous stones, and rings and earring decorated with pearls and turquoise.

The government made it compulsory for all Bhutanese to only wear their national dress in public, as a way to preserve ancient customs.

Up till today, it is mandatory that the Bhutanese wear a scarf when visiting Dzongs. The Bhutanese men wear a ‘Kabney’. Kabneys are of different colours, which reflect their ranks and status. On the other hand, the Bhutanese women wear a ‘Rachu’. Rachus unlike Kabneys, have rich patterns instead of colours.   

Food

Bhutanese normally eat with their hands, cross legged on the wooden floor. Food is normally served by women, in most cases the mothers, to the head of the household first. Before eating, a short prayer is offered. A small morsel is placed on the wooden floor as offerings to spirits and deities.  

In Bhutan, rice, vegetables and chilli is the staple food and salted butter tea (suju) is the staple drink that is served for social purposes. Bhutanese eat chilli abundantly, and it is used as vegetable rather than spices. Ema datse, considered the national dish in Bhutan, is made with chillies and cheese stew. Meat is widely eaten in Bhutan too. This includes pork, beef, chicken, fish and yak meat.  At high altitudes, barley and buckwheat are grown.

The indigenous groups

Indigenous groups

There are small groups of ethnic minorities and indigenous groups that live all throughout Bhutan in scattered villages.  Related to those groups living in India's Assam or of West Bengal or Assam, they embrace the Hindu system of endogamous groups ranked by hierarchy and practice wet-rice and dry-rice agriculture.  They are the "Bumthaps" from Bumthang, the "Mandheps" from Trongsa, the "Layaps" in the North West, the "Brokpas" in the eastern villages of Merak and Sakteng, the "Doyas" or "Lhops" in the southern district of Samtse, and the "Lapchas" in the south.

Others

Bhutan’s population can be divided into 3 groups, mainly the “Ngalops”, the “Sharchops” and the “Lhotsampas”.

The “Ngalops” make up the majority of the popularity, belonging to the Western region. They are thought to be the descendents of Tibetan immigrants who arrived in Bhutan in the 9^th century.

The “Sharchops” belong to the East of Bhutan and are considered to be the original inhabitants of Bhutan.

The “Lhotsampas” belong to the Southern areas. They are descendents of immigrants from Nepal who settled in Bhutan in the 19^th century.

Languages

The national language of Bhutan is Dzongkha. However, English is widely spoken too. English is taught in schools in the Bhutan. Bhutanese are generally multi-lingual, speaking Dzongkha, Scharchopkha (Eastern dialect) and Lhotsamkha (Nepali). Many children in Bhutan tend to walk up to visitors to wave and say “hello” or “good morning”.

Goodmorning/ afternoon/ evening: Kuzuzangpo-la

Thank You: Kadingche-la

Mode of education

Before the 1960s, the only form of education was monastic education. Since the 1960s, a modern form of education has been introduced. The modern form of education has expanded since 1961, when the first Five Year Plan was launched.

The first five year plan was launched in 1961 by His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. It was a plan to help Bhutan with its national development. The plan was aimed primarily to build basic infrastructures such as roads, health, education, power, communication system, transport, agriculture and animal husbandry.

Source: http://www.education.gov.bt/Edn%20System/Education%20System.html

Based on the figure above, there were about 11 schools before 1961. In 1966, there were 108 schools in Bhutan, including 2 public schools. In recent years in 2004, there are about 447 schools consisting of community primary schools to tertiary institutes. The government has managed to expand the modern education system

Source: http://www.education.gov.bt/Edn%20System/Education%20System.html

With the expansion of the modern education system, there was also a significant increase in the number of enrolment. Based on figure y, there were about 400 enrolments before 1961. In 1966, there were 9190 enrolments. In recent years in 2004, there was a total enrolment of 13936 students. 

Education is also free in Bhutan.

Type of leisure programmes

Festivals

Festivals in Bhutan are deemed as a joyous affair and a social occasion. The Bhutanese dress up in their finest clothes and jewellery. Bhutanese try to attend a festival at least once in their lifetime and for some, they consider it a blessing to be able to attend festivals and watch dances. Festivals are usually held in dzongs (fortresses) or monasteries. The Bhutaneses’ deep faith and devotion make festivals a special occasion.

The most common festival in Bhutan is the Tsechu, ('Tse' means 'date' and 'Chu' means 'ten'; i.e. '10th day'). Tsechus are religious festivals that are held every year in all districts, on auspicious days and months in the Bhutanese calendar, and last up to four days. This festival is in honour of Guru Rinpoche the saint who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8^th century. Tsechus are a rich form of the oral history tradition where the Bhutanese pass on values, mythology and spiritual beliefs through the dance dramas.

The main highlight of the Tsechus is the performance of special masked dances by monks. These dances are inspirations of enlightened beings in history. The Bhutanese believe that it is essential to watch these dances to gain enlightenment. Apart from masked dances by monks, community dancers also participate in the local festivals. Besides the performances, a throngdrol, a religious picture that is usually embroidered rather than painted, is unfurled on the last day of the festival before sunrise and rolled back up before direct sunlight touches it. It is believed that sins are liberated simply by viewing it.

Two of the largest festivals are the Thimphu Tsechu and Paro Tsechu. The Thimphu Tsechu is a popular tourist attraction as it is held in the capital of Bhutan. The Paro Tsechu, considered as one of the most colourful festival, is held in Paro district usually in Spring.

Sports

Bhutan’s national sport is archery (Dha).  Archery became the national sport in 1971 and has its roots in Bhutanese identity itself.  As the Gods were depicted to be holding bows and arrows that were said to ward off evil, archery is considered an auspicious sport with a divine mandate.

Nearly all the villages have an archery range and outside each Dzong has a space set aside for a field of target (bha cho). The distance is 140 metre. The traditional equipment that Bhutanese uses are hand-carved bamboo bows. Village teams compete against one another in a rowdy manner. Archers are allowed to use any means to distract their opponents, including standing near the target to yell back at how good an archer’s aim was.

Environment

The raw and natural beauty of Bhutan’s environment is stunning and captivating. Bhutan’s environment is as diverse as its culture, because of its location, great geographical and climatic variatoions. It is the top ten global hotspots, boasting a rich and varied biodiversity.  Bhutan ranks top ten percent of highest species density in the world. About 35% of the country’s area is under protection and conservation, 72% of the land is still forested, and about 26.23% of the country’s area is designated as national parks. Because Bhutan does not suffer from deforestation and the government has preserved the environment, Bhutan has managed to provide shelter to animals and plants.

Bhutan is well known for its flora and fauna and bird watching. Bhutan is a bird watching paradise and has 675 species of birds. This includes the endangered Black-Necked Crane that winters in Bhutan. Bhutan’s flora and fauna offers about 7000 plants, 300 species of medicinal plants, 50 species of rhododendron and 600 species of orchid.

The Blue Poppy, Bhutan’s national flower, is synonymous with Bhutan that is known for its rare and special hybrids. The Blue Poppy grows in high altitudes.

 

Trekking and Adventure

Trekking in Bhutan is different from other countries as it is not as crowded. It ranges from a simple 3 day trek to a legendary 25 day trek known as the Snowman Trek. The Snowman Trek is labelled as the world’s toughest trek as it goes over 12 mountains, all above 4500 metre.

The trails leads walkers past remote and ancient monasteries, lush forests and panoramic mountains, villages, grasslands and pastures for livestock. Bhutan’s treks are also famous for the majestic views of the Himalayan peaks that provide a sense of awe and wonder and a point of contemplation for trekkers along the way. 

The different adventures that Bhutan offers are fishing, hiking, mountain biking, paragliding, rafting and kayaking.

What is Bhutan known for?

Bhutan is known for its happiness. Bhutan is the only country in the world whereby its well being is measured by Gross National Happiness. 

“Yet we must always remember that as our country, in these changing times finds immense new challenges and opportunities, whatever work we do, whatever goals we have – and no matter how these may change in this changing world – ultimately without peace, security and happiness we have nothing. That is the essence of the philosophy of Gross National Happiness. Our most important goal is the peace and happiness of our people and the security and sovereignty of the nation.” - His Majesty King Khesar, The 5th Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan.

The four main pillars of Gross National Happiness are Equitable and equal social-economic development, Preservation and promotion of cultural and spiritual heritage, Conservation of environment and Good governance which are interwoven, complementary and consistent. These four pillars embody local values and spiritual traditions.

Gross National Happiness has lead to the economic development of Bhutan, but not at the expense of its people. Bhutan believes that happiness take precedence over economic prosperity in its development process. It has also driven the government towards self reliance to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.

"Disney" - Spotted!

One of the “Disney” spotted in the modern society of Bhutan is the traditional buildings of Bhutan. In the mid-town of Thimpu, there has been a beginning of a trend in the downtown market area, that concrete columns are painted over in traditional imagery to imitate old timber architecture. Bhutan is losing its architectural aesthetics. The main concern is that the traditional buildings are being 'replicated', somewhat of a lip service to the original architecture. Although the new buildings appear to be traditional, they just replicas, resulting in "Disneyization".

Another “Disney” spotted in the modern society of Bhutan is the postage stamps of Bhutan, depicting Walt Disney Company-related themes. The Disney-themed stamps are largely unrelated to Bhutan as a whole. This is also a dimension of Disneyization in terms of merchandising. The sale of Disney-themed stamps is in the form of copyright images. 

Changes in Bhutan brought about by the growth of tourism

Change, inevitable in a rapidly changing world, is represented by the powerful force of globalisation. No doubt, changes have been brought about by the growth of tourism in Bhutan.

One of the changes that have been brought about by the growth of tourism in the country is that Bhutan's government has identified more than 100 acres of land for creation of tourism infrastructure such as hotels, spas and wellness centres. All in all, the government has set aside 500 acres with 180 acres in the centre, 120 acres in the south, 110 acres in the west and 60 acres in the east.

Another change is that the cabinet had a new tourism policy issued in the late 2009. The tourism policy is based on McKinsey plan, revolving around the 9 initiatives.

The 9 initiatives include:

1) Destination marketing

This is to develop and promote Bhutan as a brand. During the early quarter of 2010, Bhutan was close to finalising an international advertisement agency to market and brand Bhutan.

2) Aviation

Domestic airports are being developed to add additional tourism circuits.

3) Supply creation

More high quality hotels and tourist infrastructure are built.

4) Price and Channel

The rule of travelling on a pre-planned, guided and prepaid tour is going to be demolished and tariffs are liberalised.  

5) Supply upgradation

The Hotels Association of Bhutan is negotiating with the finance ministry to upgrade hotels to 3 star hotels and mandate tourist stays in them

6) Integrated tourism infrastructures

Infrastructures consist of roads, electricity, spas, cafes, etc.

7) Tourist amenities

These consists of the online credit card system, visas and no road permit restrictions. The online credit card system is expected to function by April 2010. Visas can now be processed online instead of manual processing by Bhutan’s home ministry. Tourists will soon face no road permit restrictions to travel across Bhutan.

8) Sustainable tourism

This is achieved through the policy based on Gross National Happiness to carry out tourism. Environmentally friendly hotels are also mandated.

9) Tourism governance

Autonomous and corporate Tourism Council of Bhutan

However, even without tourism, changes have been brought about. In 1999, television and internet was introduced for the first time. In 2008, Bhutan took a huge step and made a transition from a hundred-year old monarchy to a parliamentary democracy.

In my opinion, I believe that change, whether brought about by tourism or not, does not necessarily mean a negative thing. An example of positivity in change brought about by tourism is that it is a force of peace, such that travelling brings tourists and Bhutanese into contact with each other. An example of positivity in change not brought about by tourism would be about archery, Bhutan’s national sport. Traditionally, Bhutanese use hand-carved bamboo bows. However nowadays, Bhutanese use a state of the art carbonite hoyt brand bow with a complicated looking pulley system that releases the arrows with tremendous speed, allowing the Bhutanese to shoot easily. Although they now use a more modern bow, this has not diluted the rich traditions of Archery.

Tourism - A culprit in commodifying cultures and traditions?

The cultures and traditions of Bhutan are carefully guarded and well preserved. Today, Bhutan is still able to retain its old charm and has managed to defy globalisation. Bhutan has clinged on to the age-old values and priority against the onslaught of globalisation and modernisation.

Hence, I believe that tourism has not been a culprit in commodifying cultures and traditions. However instead, tourism has been a culprit in enforcing the need to preserve Bhutan’s cultures and traditions. Although there are indeed changes because of tourism, the cultures and traditions of Bhutan still has its rich culture, pristine environment, and sacred heritage.

When Bhutan first opened its doors to tourism in 1974, the main challenges the government faced was to maintain the country’s culture integrity. So far, the government has been successful in doing so. The government has minimised the drawbacks of tourism by adopting a tourism policy of ‘High Value, Low Volume tourism’.

Tourists need to pay a minimum tariff of US$200 per person per night during high season and US$165 per person per night during low season, an all inclusive payment for accommodation, means, guide, travel and Tourism Development Fund. Tourists are not allowed to travel independently in Bhutan. They are only allowed to travel on a pre-planned, guided and prepaid tour.  There are more than 1300 licensed guide and more than 478 registered tour operators in Bhutan.

Although tourism is the highest earner of hard currency and can support Bhutan’s free health and education system, Bhutan is determined to keep its cultures and traditions in today’s global fast paced world. The rich cultures and traditions of Bhutan have made it the essence of their unique identity. Bhutan has remained one of tourism’s best kept secret. Bhutan believes that man can only survive and truly live by keeping in touch with the past.

The ‘High value, Low volume tourism’ tourism policy that Bhutan has adopted has helped Bhutan to stay rooted in its ground, such that material development is avoided. Bhutan has stressed, more than ever before, the need to retain its rich cultures and traditions.

“Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footsteps”

References

http://www.keystobhutan.com/
http://www.tourism.gov.bt/
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Bhutan-EDUCATION.html
http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/stamps/disney/bhutan.htm
http://tashel.com/changes-bhutanese-tourism-industry/
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