The Kingdom of Bhutan

At the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains, where the arid plains of India meet waves of dense green forest rising toward the high Tibetan Plateau, the small country of Bhutan remained isolated and overlooked for centuries. Virtually the storied Shangri-La of the Himalayas, this tiny Buddhist kingdom opened to foreign visitation in the 1970s and has managed to maintain its unique cultural identity, and traditional customs, by moderating the number of outside visitors through the use of high per diem visitor fees.

While the Himalayas surrounding Bhutan have kept it in geographic isolation, this same seclusion has shielded the nation from the cultural shock waves that globalization has created in other parts of the developing world. Roughly the combined size of Maryland and Delaware, and fondly referred to by the Bhutanese as Druk Yul (Land of the Thunder Dragon), Bhutan is a colorful kaleidoscope of photogenic traditional culture, architecture and landscapes rapidly disappearing in neighboring Himalayan countries.

The strong fusion of church and state in Bhutan is visible in the spectacular buildings called dzongs—a Tibetan word for fortress. These striking white citadels house both government officials and Buddhist monks and are the centerpiece of larger cities. Traveling to the central Bhutan valleys, we arrive in time for the Tangbi Mani festival, concurring with the full moon—one of this intriguing country’s most colorful and traditional festivals. Spectacular Bhutanese mask dances are a highlight of our photographic excursion into this timeless world.

Our journey takes us through farming villages with photogenic terraced landscapes of golden wheat, dense blue pine and juniper forests where yak herding provides the local livelihood, and over mountain passes above the tree line at 12,000 feet. Each day brings something new—vistas of great beauty, monuments with rich architectural and decorative detail, weaving and painting schools open to visitors, vibrant markets, and temples with thousands of colorful prayer flags waving in the sun. With luck, we may see rare migrant black-necked cranes returning to the Phobjikha Valley.

Expect to photograph lots of people—willing photo subjects happy to interact with inquisitive foreigners: farmers working in green and golden paddy fields; monks chanting in incense-filled monasteries while lighting scores of butter lamps; craggy-faced, weather-worn elders; children—a lot of children—wearing traditional hats decorated with ornaments that ward off evil spirits; plus artisans, dancers, religious pilgrims, archers, weavers, yak herders and more.

We photograph men wearing the national dress—a knee-length robe (kho) tied around the waist by a slim belt, with a cotton or silk vest with broad white cuffs underneath. At the waist is a small sword for chopping betel nuts, meat and wood. Every man from the King to his most humble subject wears this same costume. Bhutanese women wear the ankle-length kira—a brightly colored, intricately woven rectangular piece of fabric, wrapped and folded around the body, pinned at both shoulders with silver brooches, and bound at the waist with a woven belt.

Although Bhutan has long been a stalwart holdout from modernity, change is coming to this small mountain kingdom. The recent introduction of television, cell phones and Internet are quickly altering Bhutan and its people. The unique photographic opportunities of well-preserved and long-guarded traditional culture may not last much longer!

Join us on our photo journey into this mystical realm of the thunder dragon. Here, for a time, you can still glimpse a truly rich and lively Buddhist culture where age-old customs and enduring traditions remain part of everyday life.