Kuzu zangpo la – Greetings from Bhutan

The Kingdom in the Clouds. The Happiest Country in the World. The Last Shangri-la. Mystical. Magical. What a fascinating country.

Bhutan is a (virtually completely) mountainous country roughly equal in size to Switzerland. Half the size of Indiana.  Go ahead, Google it; I had to. (Indiana is 36k sq miles, Bhutan is 18k sq miles, Switzerland is 16k sq miles.) This tiny country is bordered by two behemoths: on the north, China (the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China) and on all other sides, India. As one blogger quoted a local regarding its neighbors and politics: “If India sneezes or China farts, we get blown away.”

Bhutan’s neighbor to the west would be Nepal except for a very narrow finger of India (Sikkim) that reaches up between the two. Perhaps not surprisingly then, of Bhutan’s population of 700,000, 25-35% are ethnic Nepalese.

 

Though called Bhutan by the outside world, since the 13^th century the country has called itself Druk Yul, or “Land of the Thunder Dragon” and the Bhutanese call themselves Drukpa.

Bhutan is the most unique country we have ever visited:

• The Bhutanese life and Buddhism (i.e. secular life and religion) are inexorably intertwined. More than any other country we’ve visited.  (Admittedly, we haven’t been to any Islamic countries yet.)
• Bhutan is one of the few countries in the world that has never been colonized. They had conflict with British India in 1864-65 and ceded some disputed territory, but that’s the extent of it for all practical purposes.
• Until the mid-20^th century, this tiny landlocked kingdom was virtually unknown to outsiders. Telephones, electricity, paved roads, airports, hospitals, formal education and foreign relations were nonexistent. Business was conducted on the barter system. It was only in the 1960s that these elements of infrastructure were put in place, and only in 1974 were tourists allowed into the country. Television and internet were first allowed in 1999.
• A hereditary monarchy was established in 1907, and the reigning king is from its 5th generation. The third king (r. 1952-1972) is known as the ‘father of modern Bhutan’; he ended Bhutan’s political isolation and started development of the country (road-building, etc) in earnest. The fourth king (r. 1972 – 2008), who became the youngest monarch in the world (age 16) when his father died, transitioned the country to a constitutional democracy. The fifth king, age 32 and Oxford-educated, rules as chief of state now.
• The 3rd, 4th and 5th kings have skillfully and successfully transformed an absolute ruling monarchy into a democracy where the monarchy still plays a very important role. This benevolent monarchy reflects servant-leadership at its best. The Bhutanese people adore the monarchy with a zest approaching worship. They have great respect for them, and are tremendously proud of them.
• Law requires maintenance of 60% of the kingdom’s total area under forest cover – for all time. Currently, 72% is forested. The country has been named one of the ten ‘biodiversity hotspots in the world’.
• There is a ubiquitous effort to preserve the country’s culture, traditions and history, sometimes by legal mandate. All Bhutanese must wear the traditional national costume (kira for women, gho for men) in government and religious buildings. Some companies, like tour companies and hotels, also require this of their employees. All buildings, private and public, must follow traditional architecture and design protocol. There continues to be a massive project of restoration and renovation of dzongs (fortresses) and monasteries.
• This preservation and promotion of Bhutan’s unique cultural heritage is just one tenet of the 4th king’s well-publicized philosophy for the future development of his country, Gross National Happiness (GNH). Shortly after his coronation in 1974, he announced that Bhutan’s growth and progress would be guided, as well as measured, not by its GDP but by its GNH. GNH is based on the conviction that material wealth alone does not bring happiness, nor ensure the contentment and well-being of the people. Further, economic growth and ‘modernization’ should not be at the expense of the people’s quality of life or traditional values. To achieve GNH, priority is given to: equitable socio-economic development across regions and social strata; conservation and protection of the pristine environment; preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage; and provision of responsive and participatory governance.
• Bhutan does not have a single stoplight, not even in the capital of Thimphu with almost 100,000 people.

The first week of our visit was largely in rural areas and small villages; just last night did we arrive in the ‘big city’ of Thimphu. We have experienced a very strong sense of stepping back in time: barefoot farmers plowing small fields by oxen; construction workers using sledgehammers, blow after back-breaking blow, to break rocks into usable fragments; firewood being carried on villagers’ backs in huge bamboo baskets; clothes being washed against rocks in streams; children walking an hour, or two, to and from school each day.

Our entrance into Thimphu gave glimpses of the modernity that is making its way into Bhutan: an expressway, a multi-pump gas station and convenience store, the emporium shopping mall, private schoolyards full of uniformed, English-speaking children and, last but not least, our very modern and well-appointed hotel, the Taj Tashi. As you might guess from the name, the Taj Tashi is a joint Indian-Bhutanese venture. India has played a major role in Bhutan’s development, especially in the construction and upkeep of roads, communications, hydroelectricity and the advancement of technical and administrative skills.

Finally, a little teaser from our next post…. Who has hiked with a member of the Royal Family of Bhutan? (or of any other country for that matter??) We had a very special day yesterday… a truly serendipitous once-in-a-lifetime experience.