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Bhutan travel

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In 1972, the 4th King of Bhutan, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, declared that “Gross National Happiness” is more important than Gross Domestic Product. This concept measures a much broader perspective, including nine domains: Psychological well being Health Education Time use Cultural diversity and resilience Good governance Community vitality Ecological diversity and resilience Living standards While it is not the simple “happiness” commonly known, this Gross National Happiness index does convey a message to the world that Bhutan government cares about the overall wellbeing of the individuals. The High and The Low Bhutan is the world’s greenest country with over 70% of land covered by forest. With around 800,000 population living in 38,394 square kilometers of land, Bhutan’s population density is one of the lowest in the world. Culture & Traditions When it comes to culture, polygamy is probably the most unique one. It is legal for men and women to have multiple wives and husbands at the same time. The 4th King of Bhutan has 4 queens. Isn’t it the dream of most men?! Divorce is acceptable, not a disgraceful…

Bhutan may be small on the world map but it’s really big if the only means of transportation is by car. There is no trains nor domestic airports yet. I think that it’s nice to stay that way even though it takes a bit more time commuting. More vehicles, tracks and airports means more pollution. So you will spend quite a lot of time sitting in a car, particularly if you travel to the central Bhutan. At the moment, there is only one highway connecting the west the east. There is a road widening project going on right now that makes the road bumpy and some times rock falls and mud slides, making the commute more challenging. It is more challenging in the summer when it rains a lot. Having said that, it’s not all that boring on a long car ride. Bhutan is a lush country with a lot of trees and valleys. It’s beautiful everywhere and you will often see some yaks and cows herding along the road. Anther interesting thing is this type of trucks. Local people…

When I travel to Bumthang to see the Jakar Tshechu Festival, I stayed in this Yagharling Hotel which is up on the hill and not too far from Jakar Dzong. The hotel has a restaurant, a bar with pool table, conference facilities and free wifi but it is limited to the restaurant and bar area. There is no wifi in the room. The room is really spacious. There are two double beds, a dresser, two sitting areas, and a balcony. Besides, there are 3 electric heaters, 2 in the room and 1 in the bathroom which is very important in the winter. Well, I went to Bumthang in November. It was warm when the sun is out in the morning but it was freezing at night.

Tshechu means “Day Ten” is an annual religious festival held on the 10th of the month in every district of Bhutan. It is an annual event and each district holds the event at different time of the year. Spring and autumn are the best seasons visiting Bhutan when the sky is clear and weather is nice and there are some major festivals around the country that you may attend.

Situating on top of a mountain dominating the Tang River and the valley, Ogyen Choling (Palace) Museum is a very unique museum in Central Bhutan exhibiting the traditional Bhutanese living condition of a noble family in 1800s. The history of Ogyen Choling began with the visit by a Tibetan master of Buddhism in 1300s. Its position above the valley is an auspicious location which symbolizes the top of an elephant head with the mountain as the back. The place was blessed and regarded as a Tibetan saint Dorji Lingpa’s center. The better known history is that Tsokye Dorji, the fifthteenth generation of Dorji Lingpa, who was the Governor of Trongsa at a time had passed his position to the father of the First King of Bhutan in 1800s. The original Ogyen Choling was destroyed in the devastating earthquake in 1897. This current estate was rebuilt in 1898 and completed in 1899. As basic and old as the housing estate seems, Ogyen Choling is considered a valuable religious center and a historic estate in Bhutan. The heirs of this noble family…

In addition to dzong (Fortress) and temples, there are quite a few monasteries and nunneries which are also sight-seeing places for tourists in Bhutan. This Kharchu Monastery was founded by Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche in 1984. He was recognized by Dalai Lama as the incarnation of a Tibetan lama whose spiritual lineage dates back to one of the closest disciples of Master Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche). Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche bought a small plot of land in Bumthang at the age of 16 in 1982 and started to build a monastery with very little resources. Today, the complex has a two-storey building with a classroom, a dormitory, a library and offices. The monastery has grown considerably has more than 300 monks at some point. I didn’t see that many during my visit probably because many of them travel around and do not need to stay in the monastery the whole time.

Kurjey Lhakhang is an important temple complex in Central Bhutan where Guru Rinpoche left a body print after his meditation in a cave. In 1962, the first temple was built and dedicated to Guru Rimpoche. In fact, the temple is named after his body print: Kur (body) jey (print) Lhakhang (temple). The temple complex is impressive with a huge front yard. Each of the temple has multi-levels. Of course the most important one is the Guru Lhakhang where the holiest place is. The entrance to the temple is one level above ground where there is a large incense burner. In Bhutan, cypress trees are abundant and considered valuable natural resources. People burn branches and leaves of cypress trees as incense. The structure of the temples is as spectacular as the fortresses with huge white washed walls and delicate wood carving and hand paintings. The second temple was built by the first king when he was still the Governor of Trongsa in 1900. The third temple was built by the queen of the third king. This temple complex the final resting…

Jambay Lhakhang (temple) is one of oldest temple built in the 7th century by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo who was the founder of Tibetan Empire. He is traditionally accredited for introducing Buddhism to Tibet and creating the Tibetan Alphabet. It is believed that this King had built 108 temples in the Himalayas region to pin down a giant ogress. This is one of the two temples built in Bhutan. The other one is in Paro.

For those who travel to Bhutan for 5-7 days, particularly the first time visitor, you will probably just spend the time in the western region which covers the most popular tourist destinations, including the Tiger’s nest and Paro Dzong in Paro; the big buddha and Dochula Pass in Thimphu; and Punakha Dzong. If you have more time, there are a lot more to see in central Bhutan but there is a long ride.

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