The Last Shangri-La?

The tiny kingdom of Bhutan, also known as “The Last Shangri-La” is wedged in the Himalayas, between Nepal, India, and the Tibetan plateau. The high-mountain scenery is dramatic and pristine, and traditions have remained alive for hundreds of years. It is now a democratic constitional monarchy and is officially Buddhist with a population of 700,000.

Bhutan's Flag: The Thunder Dragon

Source: Wikipedia

Bhutan’s reputation as one of the happiest places on earth has much to do with King Wangchuck’s belief that a happy society needed much more than economic development and success – and so he coined a new term in 1998 called the GNH or “Gross National Happiness” indicator.  This index is compiled from four separate measures: economic growth, conservation of the environment, preservation of cultural heritage, and good governance.

One of the happiest countries in Asia

While Bhutan does not rank as the happiest country in the world, it is one of the happiest countries in Asia and also one of the happiest countries with such a low GDP or “gross domestic product.”  In other words, people are poor (in terms of income) but have high levels of well-being.  Education is free in Bhutan and so is health care.  And the government will transport citizens to neighboring countries for medical treatment if necessary.

Photo by Wonderlane @ Flickr

Difficulties faced by minorities

At the same time, all is not perfect in Bhutan.  In 1988, the Bhutanese government enforced a policy called “one nation under law.”  Under this policy, minority groups could no longer practice their religion or speak their language.  Over 100,000 Bhutanese of Nepalese origin (one-sixth of the population) had to leave the country overnight  because they protested the new initiative.  Most of them were sent to refugee camps in Nepal.  It is only now, almost two decades later, that about half of these refugees have been resettled, most of them in the U.S.  The remaining half remain in the refugee camps and hope to be resettled soon.  (Source: UN Refugee Agency)   There continue to be claims of discrimination by the Lothsampas, the Nepali-speaking minority that has been living in the southern region of Bhutan for more than 200 years.

Facing the future

Bhutan, like many of the world’s other “happy” countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands) has a fairly homogenous population and a strong social welfare net. However, it might not have the same tolerance for individual liberties and freedom of worship.  With changing times and the new challenges posed by media and the Internet, it will be very interesting to watch whether Bhutan is able to hold on to its traditions and mostly idyllic past.

Los Angeles Resources for Bhutan

If you would like to find out more about Bhutan, or perhaps even visit the country, here are a few good local resources:

The Bhutan Shop in Topanga has beautiful jewelry, prayer flags, wooden bowls, bells, gongs, Bhutanese clothing, and many other items from Bhutan, Nepal and India.

Local author and resident, Lisa Napoli, has written a book about Bhutan called Radio Shangri-La, in which she describes how she moved away from her job in public radio in Los Angeles for a volunteer stint in Bhutan’s first youth radio station.  In the process she “found the world is a beautiful and complicated place, and learns to appreciate life in a way she never imagined.”

And, if after reading her book you decide you have to hop onto the next plane to this stunningly beautiful and fascinating land, there is a local travel organization called The California Native that can set you up and guide you on your adventure in Bhutan.