Bhutan: The Kingdom Where GDP Is Measured In Happiness
Summary
TLDRThe 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
🏰 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.
🌳 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.
📺 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.
🌐 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Gross National Happiness (GNH)
💡Modernization
💡Traffic Jams
💡Marijuana
💡Silver Jubilee
💡Hydroelectricity
💡Tourism
💡Ecology
💡Buddhism
💡Tradition
💡Globalization
💡Technology
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]
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