BRIEF ABOUT DRUKYUL

BHUTAN, a land of thunder dragon is nestled between the giants of India and China, Bhutan gleams like a precious jewel, with a population of around 782,000. Despite its modest dimensions, Bhutan boasts an astonishing ecological tapestry. From lush tropical jungles in the south, home to majestic elephants, rhinoceroses, and tigers, to the verdant forests in the mid-region, where leopards, mountain goats, bears, and a rich array of birdlife thrive, and up to the lofty heights where blue sheep and elusive snow leopards roam, the diversity of its natural landscapes is breathtaking.

For centuries, Bhutan has carefully guarded its remarkable environment and cherished its distinctive culture, shielded by self-imposed isolation. Drawing inspiration from its neighboring Tibet, Tantric Buddhism has flourished, infusing art, crafts, and architecture with spiritual significance and profoundly shaping the Bhutanese way of life.

In the early 1960s, Bhutan cautiously began to open its doors to the outside world, marking the dawn of a new era. Tourism, a novel concept, took its fledgling steps on June 2nd, 1974, coinciding with the coronation of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who ascended to the throne at the youthful age of seventeen.

Embedded deeply in the Bhutanese political psyche is the concept of happiness and wellbeing as the ultimate goals of development. While this ethos influenced Bhutan’s early modernization efforts, it wasn’t until the reign of His Majesty the Fourth King that Gross National Happiness (GNH) was formally embraced as the guiding principle of Bhutan’s development journey, setting a unique and inspiring course for the nation’s future.