Bhutan

Some have called Bhutan ‘the last Shangri-La’. Shangri-La is a fictional place from James Hilton’s novel

‘Last Horizon’. The book was released in 1933 and it describes a paradise on Earth, hidden in the Himalayas.

So how does Bhutan compare to this make-believe land? Is it really a paradise on Earth?

Located high in the Himalaya Mountains, Bhutan was an absolute monarchy until very recently. However, in

1999 the king began to convert the country into a democracy. Bhutan is now a constitutional monarchy, like

the UK, Japan and Spain, where the monarch acts as head of state but the government is elected by the

people.

Bhutan is a Buddhist nation and the teachings of the Buddha are woven into everyday life. For example, in

schools children are taught about tolerance, living in harmony and controlling anger.

In 1971, the country famously introduced the idea of Gross National Happiness. The idea behind Gross

National Happiness is that happiness and spiritual wellbeing are more important than how much money the

country makes (its Gross National Product). Using Gross National Happiness, the Bhutanese government

tries to measure the happiness of the population.

One way the government tries to create widespread happiness is through free education for all. Another way

is by striving to be as green as possible. For example, Bhutan has promised to stay carbon neutral and aims

to keep at least 60 per cent of the country covered by forest. Surprisingly, Bhutan banned smoking in 2004 -

making it the first country in the world to ban the use and sale of tobacco.

Bhutan’s landscape is a mixture of subtropical forests and snow covered mountains. The country has a wide

variety of animal life including many rare primates, the Bengal tiger, a type of rhinoceros, sloths, leopards,

wolves, bears and the endangered dhole (a kind of wild dog similar to the Australian dingo).
One misconception about Bhutan is that there is a limit on the number of visitors allowed into the country

each year. This is not true, however, all tourist visits must be organised through a government licensed

Bhutanese tour operator. There is also a minimum charge of $ 200 per day for tourists, which increases to $

250 per day in high season. Lastly, all tourists must purchase a visa.

By placing these restrictions on foreign visitors the Bhutanese government hopes to attract high value, low

impact tourism. Their aim is that in having fewer tourists, who pay a lot, the country can remain unspoiled.

The money earned from tourism is then reinvested into education and health services.

With all this in mind, do you think Bhutan is a real-life Shangri-La? Its beauty is easy to see, it is

environmentally friendly and has free education and healthcare. However, if you’re a smoker, you probably

won’t be moving there anytime soon...

Questions about the text

1. At a popular time of the year, how much does it cost per day to visit Bhutan?

2. What has the Bhutanese government done to try and make the population healthy?

3. What does Bhutan have in common with the UK, Spain and Japan?

4. Which author is mentioned in the text?

5. Name two dog-like creatures that are mentioned in the text.

6. What is the main religion of Bhutan?

7. Name two ways that Bhutan tries to be environmentally friendly.

8. What is the difference between Gross National Happiness and Gross National Product?

9. Which word in the text can be used to describe monkeys and apes?

10. True or false? The king of Bhutan has absolute power.

11. What do you think of this country? Do you agree with its decisions (about tourism, tobacco, etc.)?

12. Would you like to live there?