The national sport of Bhutan turns the kingdom’s smiling subjects into foul-mouthed bullies.In the name of competitive play, archers and their cheer squads on the sidelines hurl obscenities at their opponents.
A type of furry goat-antelope, this ungainly yet adorable creature is native to the grassy hills and valleys of the Himalayas.Its exact taxonomy is unclear, local mythology states the Divine Madman (more on him later) put the head of a goat onto the body of a cow and brought the hybrid into being.
Bhutan’s name in the local language is Druk Yul, which translates to ‘thunder dragon.’ Leaders are called druk gyalpo – ‘thunder dragon kings.’
Bhutan has banned the smoking and trade of tobacco in an act that went into effect in 2010, though bans on smoking tobacco date back as far as 1916.
Thimphu is one of only two capitals in the world with no traffic lights (the other is Pyongyang). Bhutan is further trying to revolutionize the roads by encouraging the sale of electric cars, with the NIssan LEAF and Mahindra Reva introduced in 2015.
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck – the king of Bhutan – and his wife Jetsun Pema are adored across the country.The king is known as a humble leader, with an open-door policy that allows any citizen to request a private meeting.
King Jigme Singye Wangchuck was also a pretty cool king.He abdicated to his son in 2008 and set the wheels in motion for Bhutan to become a constitutional monarchy, believing that not all kings are necessarily good kings and should be controlled by a government.
When offered food, it’s polite to pretend you don’t want it, and even cover your mouth with your hand and say meshu meshu. The third time you can accept.
Bhutan does not formally record the birthdates of its subjects – all citizens get a year older when the year starts afresh.
Ophiocordyceps sinensis is a rare fungus prized in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its supposed aphrodisiac properties.The fungus grows parasitically in ghost moth caterpillars, killing them and sprouting from its host’s head.It is valued at a hundred thousand dollars per kilo, unfortunately encouraging poaching in protected areas.
