With a population of less than 200, the White-bellied Heron is among the 50 rarest birds in the world. They are also referred to as the gentle giants because of their mild nature Bhutan shelters a little over 30 white-bellied herons. The Imperial Asian herons were once found across the...
The nomadic Layaps may well live in the remote, hardscrabble northern frontiers but they live with all the modern amenities in place. So much has changed for them in just a few years that they are today among the wealthy lot in the kingdom. Cordyceps sinensis, in the words of...
The Himalayan Buddhist system of medicine or Sowa Rigpa is still practiced today in Bhutan. When Buddhism was first introduced in Tibet, some of these sacred scriptures and texts from the time of King Kashiraja were translated into Tibetan. It was only in 1616, when the Zhabdrung came to Bhutan,...
Zhungdra is the oldest style of traditional Bhutanese folk music and it is distinguished by the way it is sung using extended vocal tones in complex patterns. Singers and dancers form a long line and hold hands when they sing the song. They move in a slow, synchronized order, following...
The longest suspension bridge in the country that connects the villages of Dzomi and Chubu in Punakha valley sways rapidly in the ferocious wind, and so do the colorful prayer flags that adorn it. Connecting the two riverbanks, the bridge is secured by thick cables fixed to humongous blocks of...
