Opened to tourists in 1974, the happiest country in the world remains a mystery to many.
1. No television and Internet
In fact, television and the Internet were banned in Bhutan until 1999. But eventually Butan king had to lift this strange ban. This is the last country in the world to use television.
2. Ministry of Happiness
To take care of people’s mental health, in 2008, the National Happiness Committee was established. In the annual census there is also a column for people to answer the question Are they happy with their lives.
Moreover, Bhutan also has the Ministry of Happiness. Like the Gross Domestic Product, the Ministry of Happiness measures the happiness of all people. Therefore, the quality of life is determined by the balance between financial and spiritual values of the people.
3.. No homeless people
In Bhutan, no one has to live on the road. If a person is not at home, they can go to the king. After that, the king will give them a piece of land to build a house and grow vegetables.
4. Free health care
Every Bhutanese enjoys a completely free health care regime. Traditional and modern methods are popular, people can choose any treatment they find appropriate..
5. Traditional costumes
Men wear long knee-length robes and women wear long skirts. Social status is determined by the color of the shawl over the left shoulder. Ordinary people would wear white scarves while nobles and monks would wear yellow scarves.
6. Smoking is prohibited
The King of Bhutan bans cultivation, harvest, and trade in tobacco. You cannot buy cigarettes in this country. Travelers who want to bring cigarettes with them will pay a large fee.
7. Interested in animals and nature
Bhutan is one of the countries that care about nature. In 2015, the country recorded a record planting of 50,000 trees in just one hour.
8. Cuisine
Most people in Bhutan are Buddhists, so vegetarians are very popular. The main food is rice, but Bhutan’s rice is red rice, eaten quite hard with a special flavor because it is often difficult to grow in a country of the same height as Bhutan.
People also like to drink tea. They usually drink black and green tea with a pinch of salt, pepper and a small spoonful of butter.
9. Challenging tourism background
Although the king is open to tourism, visitors are not allowed to travel anywhere in this country. Only a single company is granted a visa for visitors. And you need to pay in advance such as air tickets, hotels, guide and tour fees, visa fees, insurance, …) to get a visa. Bhutan also permits only one airline to operate flights to and from the country. Hotel accommodation rates (both affordable and premium) are decided by the government.
10. Tradition of inheritance
Women are highly respected in Bhutan. All property and furniture, such as houses, livestock and land, are for older girls, not boys.
11. Ecology is the most important thing
Today, the whole world is preoccupied with environmentally friendly products. In Bhutan, the law prohibits the import and use of chemical products, so the agricultural products here are completely grown by natural methods.
12. The marriage tradition
In Bhutan, marriage to foreigners is prohibited to preserve the uniqueness and isolation of the country from the rest of the world.
During a wedding ceremony, the monks chant a mantra to help newlyweds build a strong spiritual connection. Next to it is the Changphoed ritual, which is to offer beer to the gods. The remaining beer will be invited by the bride and groom.
After all the necessary rituals are performed, the new couple officially becomes husband and wife. The man will live at the woman’s house until he earns enough money to move into a new house.
13. Traffic
There is no traffic light in Bhutan. Police controlled traffic manually.
14. Decorate house by hand
Bhutanese like to decorate their homes. They painted birds, animals and various patterns on the wall.
A fairly small traditional house with 3 floors. The ground floor is the space for raising animals, the living space is located on the second and third floors used to store hay.
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