Bhutan: The Kingdom Where GDP Is Measured In Happiness

Summary

The script explores Bhutan's unique approach to modernization, emphasizing 'Gross National Happiness' over economic growth. It highlights the country's slow embrace of technology, such as the introduction of television and the internet, amidst a backdrop of strong cultural and spiritual traditions rooted in Buddhism. The narrative also touches on the environmental consciousness of the Bhutanese, their king's progressive policies, and the challenges of preserving their distinct identity in the face of globalization.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Bhutan is a mystical kingdom that has modernized at a slower pace, valuing its unique cultural identity over rapid development.
• 🚦 Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, is the only capital city in the world without traffic lights, relying on traffic police to manage flow due to aesthetic concerns.
• 🤔 Bhutan's approach to development focuses on 'Gross National Happiness' rather than 'Gross National Product', emphasizing happiness and well-being over material wealth.
• 🌱 Marijuana grows wild in Bhutan but is not used recreationally; instead, it's often fed to animals, reflecting the society's innocence and non-exploitation of the plant.
• 🎉 The Silver Jubilee celebration marks 25 years of the Dragon King's reign, showcasing the country's cultural richness and the king's popularity.
• 📈 Under the king's rule, Bhutan has seen significant improvements in life expectancy, education, health, and infrastructure, funded by hydroelectricity sales to India.
• 💰 Tourism is a major economic contributor, with the government imposing a minimum daily fee to control tourist numbers and protect the environment.
• 🌲 Bhutan prides itself on its environmental conservation, with increased forest cover and strict regulations on logging, reflecting the king's commitment to ecology.
• 🏞️ The country's natural beauty and biodiversity are major tourist attractions, with the government recognizing the value of preserving its wilderness.
• 📺 The introduction of television and the internet to Bhutan raises concerns about the potential impact on the country's culture and the challenges of managing new information flows.
• 🔄 Bhutan is embracing change and technology while striving to maintain its traditions and cultural identity in the face of globalization.

Q & A

What is unique about the traffic management in Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan?

Thimphu is the only capital city in the world with no traffic lights. They were installed a few years ago but were removed due to complaints about being unsightly, and traffic policemen returned to manage the traffic.

What concept does Bhutan prioritize over Gross National Product (GNP)?

Bhutan prioritizes Gross National Happiness (GNH) over GNP, focusing on the well-being of its subjects and balancing economic development with spiritual health and environmental sustainability.

Why is marijuana not used as a recreational drug in Bhutan, despite its abundance?

Marijuana grows wild in Bhutan but is not used as a recreational drug; instead, it is commonly fed to animals. This reflects the innocence of Bhutanese society and their non-exploitation of the substance for drug use.

What significant event is being celebrated during the Silver Jubilee in Bhutan?

The Silver Jubilee celebrates the 25th year of the Dragon King's reign, marking a significant milestone for the country and its people.

How has the King's reign contributed to the improvement of life expectancy in Bhutan?

During the King's reign, life expectancy in Bhutan has increased by an astounding 20 years, with impressive figures on education, health, clean water supply, and electricity.

What is Bhutan's approach to tourism to maintain a balance with its environment and culture?

Bhutan does not have a tourist quota, but the government charges a minimum of $250 USD per day to keep the numbers down and protect the environment and culture. The main tourist attraction is the wilderness in the Himalayan Foothills.

How does Bhutan's government show its commitment to ecology and environmental preservation?

Bhutan's government has banned logging by private companies, increased forest cover, and recently banned plastic bags. The King himself has to obtain a permit to get a tree for personal use, showing a strong commitment to ecology.

What role does Buddhism play in Bhutan's culture and its approach to development?

Buddhism is the driving force of Bhutan, influencing its traditions and development philosophy. It promotes a benign relationship with the environment, emphasizing non-harming of living beings and spiritual well-being over materialistic pursuits.

How is Bhutan adapting to inevitable change and the influence of globalization?

Bhutan recognizes the inevitability of change and is encouraging the preservation of traditions while adapting to new technologies and global influences, such as the introduction of television and the internet.

What impact does the introduction of television have on Bhutan, according to some residents?

Some residents are dubious about the impact of television, fearing the introduction of consumerism culture and aggressive advertising, which could be very attractive and potentially overwhelming to Bhutanese society.

How is the King of Bhutan responding to the challenges of modernization while maintaining the country's unique identity?

The King of Bhutan is introducing new legislation to devolve power to his subjects, promoting intellectual development, and encouraging the preservation of traditions while cautiously embracing new technologies and global influences.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 Bhutan's Unique Approach to Modernization

This paragraph introduces the Kingdom of Bhutan, a country that has chosen a deliberate path of slow modernization, focusing on 'Gross National Happiness' over economic growth. The script highlights the absence of traffic lights in the capital, Thimphu, and the country's preference for traditional values and happiness over materialism. The King's influence is evident in Bhutan's emphasis on spiritual health, environmental balance, and quality of life. The paragraph also humorously notes the abundance of marijuana, which is fed to animals rather than used recreationally, reflecting the nation's innocence.

05:07

🌳 Bhutan's Commitment to Environmental and Cultural Preservation

The second paragraph delves into Bhutan's environmental policies and the King's dedication to ecological preservation. The country boasts an increase in forest cover and has banned logging by private companies. The script mentions the government's revenue sources, including hydroelectricity sold to India and tourism, which is carefully managed to preserve the environment and culture. The paragraph also introduces Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo, one of the queens, participating in a tree planting ceremony, symbolizing the nation's commitment to its ecological values.

10:12

📺 The Arrival of Modern Technologies in Bhutan

This paragraph discusses the introduction of television and the internet to Bhutan, which are expected to have a profound impact on the society. While these technologies offer opportunities for national integration and cultural promotion, there are concerns about the potential negative effects, such as consumerism and aggressive advertising. The script also touches on the Buddhist perspective that life is an illusion, suggesting that television is an illusion of an illusion, which may mitigate the perceived risks of these new influences.

15:13

🌐 Bhutan's Balancing Act Between Tradition and Globalization

The final paragraph reflects on Bhutan's struggle to maintain its unique identity amidst global trends and the inevitable changes brought by modern technologies. The script highlights the King's recent legislation to devolve power to the people, showing a move towards democracy. It also expresses the Bhutanese people's desire for the world to recognize and preserve their distinct culture. The paragraph concludes with a hopeful note on Bhutan's future as it embraces new technologies while cherishing its traditions.

Keywords

💡Gross National Happiness (GNH)

Gross National Happiness (GNH) is a concept that prioritizes the well-being and happiness of a country's citizens over economic growth alone. In the video, Bhutan's focus on GNH is highlighted as a unique approach to development, emphasizing the balance between material prosperity and spiritual health, as well as environmental and social factors. The script mentions the King's shift away from traditional economic measures like the Gross National Product (GNP) towards a more holistic measure of happiness and well-being.

💡Modernization

Modernization refers to the process of becoming up-to-date or contemporary, often associated with industrialization and technological advancement. The video script discusses Bhutan's deliberate and slow approach to modernization, contrasting it with the rapid and sometimes uncritical adoption of modern practices in other countries. The script notes that Bhutan wants to learn from the mistakes of others and modernize in a way that preserves its unique culture and values.

💡Traffic Jams

Traffic jams are a common occurrence in urban areas where the volume of vehicles exceeds the capacity of the road network. The script humorously describes Bhutan's traffic jams as having 'their own individualistic style' and notes the absence of road rage, suggesting a cultural difference in how people perceive and react to congestion.

💡Marijuana

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant. The video mentions that marijuana grows wild in Bhutan, but contrary to what one might expect, it is not used recreationally. Instead, it is often fed to animals, illustrating the cultural innocence and the non-exploitation of the drug in Bhutanese society.

💡Silver Jubilee

A Silver Jubilee is a 25th anniversary celebration, often marking a significant milestone. In the script, the Silver Jubilee refers to the 25th anniversary of the Dragon King's reign, which is a major event in Bhutan with extensive preparations and celebrations taking place throughout the city.

💡Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is electricity generated from the movement of water. The script explains that Bhutan uses hydroelectricity to fund improvements in education, health, clean water supply, and electricity, selling the excess power to India. This highlights Bhutan's sustainable approach to economic development.

💡Tourism

Tourism is the activity of traveling, typically for leisure, and can be a significant source of income for a country. The video script notes that tourism is the second biggest money spinner for Bhutan, with the government charging a minimum fee to control the number of tourists and protect the environment and culture.

💡Ecology

Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with the relations and interactions between organisms and their environment. The script praises Bhutan's exemplary record with ecology, including its ban on logging by private companies and efforts to increase forest cover, reflecting the country's commitment to environmental preservation.

💡Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs, and spiritual practices. The script identifies Buddhism as the driving force behind Bhutan's culture and its approach to life, including its emphasis on non-harming and spiritual well-being, which aligns with the concept of GNH.

💡Tradition

Tradition refers to beliefs, customs, and practices that are passed down through generations. The video discusses how Bhutan values and encourages its traditions, such as ancient crafts and Buddhist rituals, while also recognizing the need to adapt and change in the face of modernization.

💡Globalization

Globalization is the process of increased interconnectedness and interdependence among countries, often associated with economic, cultural, and technological integration. The script mentions Bhutan's concern about the impact of globalization on its unique culture and the potential loss of diverse cultures worldwide, suggesting a desire to preserve its identity amidst global trends.

💡Technology

Technology encompasses the tools, techniques, and methods used to solve problems or achieve objectives. The video script describes the arrival of television and the internet in Bhutan, marking a significant shift in the country's technological landscape and raising questions about the potential impact on Bhutanese society and culture.

Highlights

Bhutan's unique approach to modernization, focusing on 'Gross National Happiness' over economic growth.

Timu, the capital city, is the only capital in the world without traffic lights, relying on traffic police.

Bhutan's emphasis on individualistic traffic jams without road rage reflects the country's peaceful culture.

The King's influence on Bhutan's development, prioritizing happiness and well-being over material wealth.

Marijuana grows wild in Bhutan but is not used as a drug, reflecting the society's innocence.

Bhutan's Silver Jubilee celebrations mark 25 years of the Dragon King's reign.

Life expectancy in Bhutan has increased by 20 years during the King's reign, with improvements in education, health, and infrastructure.

Bhutan's tourism industry contributes significantly to its economy, with a focus on ecological preservation.

The government's policy of charging a minimum fee for tourism to control visitor numbers and protect the environment.

Bhutan's commitment to ecological preservation, including a ban on private logging and an increase in forest cover.

The King's personal involvement in environmental initiatives, including a ban on plastic bags.

Buddhism as the driving force behind Bhutan's culture and its benign relationship with the environment.

Bhutan's recognition of the inevitability of change and the impact of globalization on its traditions.

Government support for traditional crafts, ensuring the preservation of cultural heritage amidst modernization.

The introduction of television and the internet to Bhutan, raising concerns about cultural preservation.

The King's legislation to devolve power to the people, demonstrating a commitment to democratic principles.

Bhutan's desire to maintain its unique identity amidst global trends and the potential challenges of modern technology.

Transcripts

[Music]

this is the Dragon King his majesty jig

sing Wang Chu these are two of his four

royal wives all

sisters these are his loyal subjects

welcome to the last shangry

[Music]

[Music]

in a world where increasingly being

modern means being the same where you

cannot necessarily tell by the

streetcape what country you are in it's

refreshing to come to the mystical

Kingdom of

[Music]

Bhutan this has not been the fastest

country on Earth to modernize it wants

to take it slowly to learn by others

mistakes ours that

is take traffic for example timu is now

the only capital city in the world with

no traffic lights

they did have a set installed a few

years ago but people complained that

they were unsightly so they were taken

down and the traffic policemen

returned and why not I've never seen a

set of traffic lights enjoying

themselves as much as this

man Bhutan does of course have its

traffic jams but even these have their

own individualistic style and there

seems to be a total absence of road rage

such is life in an undeveloped country

when people talked about development in

the past they always asked what the

gross national product was and the King

then turned around and said we're not

interested in gross national product we

are interested in gross national

happiness and what the king says goes

while the rest of the world was plunging

with economic rationalist fervor towards

a new millennium this King took a

bizarre step and opted for the

well-being of his

[Music]

subjects to us gross national happiness

basically means that ultimately the

long-term and the ultimate goal of

development should be happiness that the

people should be happy and Bhutan

believes that this happiness can cannot

come from purely material uh development

economic development but that it must be

very carefully balanced with the

spiritual health with the environment

and generally the quality of

life one might be tempted to think that

the gross national happiness here is

drug induced after all the streets are

paved not with gold but with

marijuana from every knock and cranny in

every street cannabis grows like a weed

but virtually no one smokes

it instead they feed it to the animals

this farmer told me his cows didn't like

it much but the pigs were

hooked while the pigs can't just say no

to drugs it seems the bhane

can yes marijuana grows wild all over

it's more common than normal grass and I

think it reflects the innocence of bhan

society that it's not used as a drug you

know that marijuana is the most popular

food for pigs people go around you'll

find you walk around every anytime of

the day you'll find people collecting it

to feed their pigs I think bhan is one

country where pigs do

fly but here high in the Himalayas

Halfway to Heaven something is a foot

important people are in town There's

magic in the

[Music]

air just days away are the biggest

celebrations here for 25 years it's the

Silver Jubilee The Dragon King has been

on the throne for a quarter of a century

[Applause]

[Music]

the whole city is rehearsing bristling

with anticipation for on this coming

Royal day of days there can be no

mistakes everything must run smoothly

not that the king is a beheading King

just the

[Applause]

opposite indeed he seems to be honestly

and universally admired yeah he's a good

good

king during the king's Reign life

expectancy has increased an astounding

20

years figures on Education Health clean

water supply electricity all are just as

impressive the government has paid for

the improvements with

hydroelectricity which it sells to India

just down the mountains

the second biggest money spinner is

tourism to get a glimpse of Heaven

tourists pay top dollar there's no

tourist quota but the government charges

a minimum $250 us a day to keep the

numbers down

[Music]

the main tourist attraction is the

[Music]

Wilderness in these Himalayan Foothills

there's a cornucopia of diversity a

treasure House of the world's plant and

animal

species and the government is well aware

of its value

[Music]

this is her majesty Ashi DOI Wango W the

queen well one of the

Queens she's guest of honor here at this

tree planting

ceremony but it's not just a government

paying lip service while tearing the

forest apart bhutan's record with its

ecology is Exemplar even the Greenies

agree at the King right from the start I

think was most uh conscious of the need

to preserve the bne uh well let's just

take it simply the forest the forest

cover and uh from the very beginning he

uh introduced a ban on logging by

private uh companies which were there

when he took

[Music]

over Bhutan is the only country in the

region that can boast an increase in

Forest cover over the past 20 5

years even on a day-to-day basis the

environment gets a look in the king

recently banned plastic bags in the

[Music]

Kingdom he even uh issued a Royal Decree

whereby you know even the king himself

who according to a law is usually above

the law has to obtain a permit to be

able to get a tree for his own use

it comes as no surprise that the

motivating factor in the king's

philosophy has a spiritual rather than

material ethic the landscape and the

culture uh go hand in hand and the

culture which is basically based on

Buddhism again is uh is very uh benign

to the environment and uh we believe in

not harming any uh living being and not

harming anything uh not only human

[Music]

beings Buddhism is the driving force of

Bhutan the strongest of all their

Traditions Traditions that have remained

protected by the remoteness of the

Himalayas many hundred years has been uh

in that

tradition

but uh

I don't say that you know we have to

continue this tradition you know they're

exactly the

[Applause]

same Bhutan has recognized that change

is now inevitable that their geographic

isolation will no longer protect them

from outside

[Music]

forces during the King's Reign tradition

has been encouraged at this government

run School in Tim Fu the best young

Craftsmen and women from around the

country receive expert

tuition the skills being learned here

are ancient steeped in Buddhist

mythology but increasingly these

artifacts are valued not just for their

use in Buddhist ritual but as products

that can be sold to the growing tourist

Market

the culture is changing but to Buddhists

nothing Remains the

Same tradition or culture whatever

doesn't matter but main thing is the

people's intellectual way that

development intellectual development is

important so I think so far within this

25 years I banese people intellectually

there a lot of development I can say

but some developments just about to

happen could test Buddhist patients to

the Limit high above the city

preparations are being made a new deity

is about to arrive television is coming

to

ban and that's not

all because of the action we take today

there will be profound impact on our

society internet will have wide

application in organizations and our

personal

lives in this Jubilee year everything

seems to be happening at once not only

is television coming the internet has

arrived Banes will now be able to surf

the Super

Highway the choice of content on

internet is indeed vast what is

downloaded and how internet is used is

up to the prudent of the

users like all tools on one hand it is

very

powerful on the other hand it can be put

to detrimental use and overwhelm the

users with yet another official opening

in this week of Ceremonies bh's home

life is changed forever television

finally arrives television will become a

very important Force for National

integration for the promotion of bunis

culture including music and literary

activities but some remain dubious on

the impact it will have I think there

will be the whole consumerism culture

the the impact of the very very very

aggressive advertising which is on

television and I think uh I mean that's

why was uh because it's all going to be

new to Bhutan it's all going to be very

attractive very glittering very uh very

bright I think it's going to be it's

it's going to be a

[Music]

[Applause]

problem night one and the good people of

Tim Fu sit down expectantly to spend

their first evening in front of the

telly

[Music]

Buddhists believe that all of life is an

illusion one monk pointed out that

television must therefore be an illusion

of an illusion and if something is so

unreal Perhaps it is not so

[Music]

dangerous anyway uh world is the

illusion is a anyway so therefore if you

understand the nature of the that

illusion or realize the that illusion so

television is nothing

[Applause]

and so in the Kingdom of Bhutan arrives

the Royal day of

days in other parts of the world royalty

is in trouble here the fairy story just

gets stronger

far from clinging to power this young

king last year shocked the parliament by

introducing new legislation devolving

his power to his

subjects in effect Parliament by a vote

of no confidence could now sack

him but nobody wants to they want him to

continue developing this tiny Kingdom

while maintaining the country's unique

identity

it's an identity that they are pleading

with the world to leave

intact I think Bhutan is looking at

Global Trends seeing the so-called

globalization and especially mourning

perhaps The Disappearance of many

diverse cultures in that sense Bhutan

really believes that the world needs

Bhutan

[Music]

perhaps the real question is does Bhutan

need the rest of the

world yet another first a ferris wheel

it's taken a while to get here but the

bhan respond with an innocent passion

that Coney Island and Luna Park lost

long

ago as they whirl into a new

technological orbit renouncing the

isolation of their ancient hermit

Kingdom you could only wish the

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

well ining his culture inre music and

literary activi

[Applause]