Perched like an eagle’s nest
high up on the southern slopes
of the Himalayas, Thimphu is
the capital of the kingdom of
Bhutan. It’s a totally unique
place, watched over by a gigantic
golden statue of Buddha himself.
Thimphu echoes to chants from
hilltop monasteries, flutters with
colourful prayer flags and marks
time with its own calendar.
Care
to Dance?
On the tenth day of the
eighth month (by the Bhutanese
calendar), the cloud capital holds
a three-day festival – the Thimphu
Tshechu. The streets of Thimphu overflow
with colour and celebration, as thousands
of people arrive in the city to join the
festivities. Thimphu’s monks are normally
busy with silent prayer and meditation,
but during this time they also join in the
dance. Atsaras
(Bhutanese clowns)
caper and jest around the
dancers, keeping away
evil spirits.
Gross National
Happiness
Most countries measure their success
by a scale called GNP (Gross National
Product). GNP compares the amount
of wealth that a nation’s factories, farms
and other industries produce. Bhutan
measures its success on a unique scale
– Gross National Happiness! It means
that it’s the happiness of Thimphu’s
people, not how much money or how
many things they make, that is the
measure of the city’s success. Even
the road signs promote happiness,
reminding drivers to ‘Let Nature be
Your Guide’ or that ‘Life is a Journey.
Complete it!’
Buddhas by the Thousand
Way back in the 8th century, a prophecy said that
a giant Buddha would be built in the Thimphu
hills. Now the people of this city are
making those words come true. An
amazing 51.5m (169ft) high statue of
Buddha gazes over Kuenselphodrang
nature park. The Buddha Dordenma
is cast in bronze and covered in gold.
The outside is finished, but inside
125,000 miniature Buddhas are still
being constructed.
Cloud City
Imagine living in a city nestled in the
world’s greatest mountain range. At
2,300m (7,500ft) above sea level,
Thimphu is the third-highest capital in
the world. Even so, this lofty city-in
-the-clouds is dwarfed by the mighty
peaks elsewhere in Bhutan. Some of the
Himalayan giants soar to over 7,000m
(23,000ft) above sea level.
Motithang
Takin Preserve
Ever heard of a ‘cattle chamois’?
Or a ‘gnu goat’? These weird names
both belong to a species of goat-
antelope found only in the eastern
Himalayas. The creature is properly
known as a takin. The national animal
of Bhutan is a docile creature that
would happily spend all day eating
grass and climbing mountains. When
the King liberated all the takins from
Thimphu’s mini-zoo, they decided
that they were happy to simply
stay put. Respecting the animals’
preferences, Thimphu set the area
aside as the world’s first (and only)
takin reserve.
Mountain Monasteries
The Buddhist monasteries in Thimphu are places of great
beauty. Tashichhoedzong is a massive structure in
the heart of the city that also doubles as a fortress.
No fewer than 30 temples and
chapels are contained within its
huge stone walls. Chagri Dorjeden
was built out of stone and wood in
1620. This monastery clings to a rock
face so high above the
Thimphu Valley,
it takes monks
an hour to climb
up to it from the
road below.
