Bhutan – The Happiest Country in the World

Bhutan is a small country enclaved in the Himalayas between two great countries, India and China. It is no news either that Bhutan is known as the happiest country in the world. Even in such a delicate region, between two giants, the country serves as a haven of peace for all its inhabitants. It’s been a year and a half since I moved to this land and I have loved every minute of it so far! So I would like to share a bit of this, mostly, still unknown country.

In this post I will explain a bit about….

• Bhutan-The Country of Happiness
• But What is Gross National Happiness – GNH?
• Bhutan-a Multinational Country
• The Wangchuk Dynasty of Bhutan
• Start of Tourism in Bhutan
• My First One and a half year in the Country of Happiness

Bhutan – The Happiest Country in the World

Anyone who’s ever heard of Bhutan knows that this is considered the happiest country in the world. But very few people really know how to say why. It all began during the speech by the Fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuk. He is probably the most venerated King amongst the Five Kings of Bhutan. All he says (he’s still alive and very young, by the way, but I’ll talk about that later!) becomes the law. During a speech, he mentioned that “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product”. This statement was blown up and changed the life of the country. Among its consequences, this was the one that most influenced the perception of the country internationally.

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But What is Gross National Happiness or GNH?

In short, Bhutan is considered the happiest country in the world because it is the only country that tries to measure the happiness of the population. They do this through a massive questionnaire together with the Census of the country. It takes into account several aspects of the daily life of the population.

These aspects are divided into 4 pillars and subdivided into 9 domains. An idea that started in a simple manner, developed into something quite complex. In conversations with members of the Center for Gross National Happiness (consisting of only 9 people!), I was informed that this complexity will only increase, making it more comprehensive.

The Four Pillars of the GNH are: Preservation of the Environment, Sustainable and Equitable Socio-Economic Development, Good Governance and Preservation and Promotion of Culture.

These Four Pillars are subdivided into 9 domains:

• Psychological Well-Being;
• Health
• Use of Time;
• Education
• Cultural Diversity and Resilience;
• Good Governance;
• Community Vitality;
• Ecological Diversity and Resilience;
• Standard of Living.

The Domains of Gross National Happiness

Each of the 9 domains of the GNH are again subdivided into a few more parameters, all measured qualitatively and quantitatively during the GNH questionnaire. Each one is as important as the other. Well, I won’t just leave at this. I Guess I’ll have to explain a little bit of each, huh? Well, come on then (Access the 2010 English quiz here)!

Psychological Welfare

The questions in this part are related to your well-being (don’t tell me!). For example, “What are the 7 most important things for your happiness?” and several self-assessment questions. These questions are wide open, in order to know if you think you’re feeling well.

Health

In your health, the questions go deep into the things that do you harm. The questions involve frequency in which you consume alcohol, cigarette, tobacco, DOMA (eeewwwww!), how many days you lost work because of illness, if you ever had suicidal thoughts. Well, it’s something that ends up making you sad to read… But at least they’re concerned about collecting data on how the country’s population is feeling.

Use of Time

Use of time? What do you mean? In the GNH, a very important part is whether you are managing to maintain a personal life/professional life balance. Is Your professional life influencing your personal life (or vice versa)?

In the GNH questionnaire, you describe a typical day, with start and end times for each activity. Who decides if you have this balance ends up being the parameters of the GNH.

Education

I’m quite biased talking about this, as I am a teacher, but I find this part of the quiz fantastic! The questions are not only if you know how to read or write (for those who do not know, questions are made verbally by the census personnel), but are much wider! The questions also include how much you know about Gross National Happiness, your cultural and local literacy, your food education, etc. What you know beyond what the school teaches you becomes very important!

Cultural Diversity and Resilience

This is another very interesting domain. Bhutan is a very diverse country with 21 recognised languages. The questions in this domain are based on your culture, your involvement in your community, participation in events of your own culture and others. The values you hold true in your life, the importance of your family, etc are also very important.

The Country has several local festivals, the largest being the Paro Tshechu Festival. Many members of the community participate in these major events.

Good Governance

This domain has 5 pages of questions about your involvement in local politics and your perception and confidence in governmental institutions, both local (Gewog), State (Dzongkhag) and national. GNH is also interested in your trust in the police, if you attended local policy assemblies, if you think your freedom of speech rights are respected and much more. It’s a very broad quiz!

Community Vitality

Is Your community healthy? Do people treat you well? Do you volunteer? Give donations to community services? Is your village safe? Do you trust your neighbor? Do You feel like you’re part of your community?

Well, in this part, Gross Nationa Happiness takes into account the health of your community, because it is where you spend most of your time. A healthy community only happens with happy individuals and a sense of trust among its residents.

Diversity and Ecological Resilience

Bhutan never went through an industrial revolution. Recently, the country has seen a direct transition into the information age. Thus, the country is still predominantly agricultural, with a phenomenal biodiversity. How to keep the country that way?

But the questionnaire goes beyond the physical and enters the spiritual as well. The first question of the questionnaire is whether you believe that nature is the domain of spirits and gods. Other areas of interest are knowledge of local nature, local and national policies on the environment, their pro-nature behaviors, their knowledge of climate change, amongst others. The hiking trails in Bhutan largely remains very well preserved. We had this experience on The Owl Trek. I must say it was impressive to see how much the local people know about the fauna and flora of the region.

Standard of Living

Within your community, do you feel rich? Good? Selling your lunch to buy your dinner? Is your House as good as your neighbours’? Well, this part of the questionnaire accesses your perception of your own standard of living. According to the Center For Gross National Happiness, it is one of the areas that has changed the most in Bhutan, because you are only poor when you know that your neighbour has more things than you. Bhutan is a country that is changing a lot and changing very fast. During my one and a half years here, I have to see that today’s Bhutan is not the same country in which I arrived.

Gross National Happiness for Business in Bhutan

A fairly new idea, not yet implemented, is Gross National Happiness for Business. If you are an entrepreneur and wants to renew your business operating license, you and your employees will be going through the GNH for Business questionnaire. If you are a dictatorial chief, perhaps your license will not be renewed.

Perception of Gross National Happiness in the Country

Is Bhutan the happiest country in the world? Well.. Maybe… At the moment it is the only one who is actively trying to measure and generate an index of happiness in the country. From my own experience here, the people support the idea, but they feel it’s something still very new. Gross National Happiness and the GNH index (the number generated from the questionnaires and what quantifies Happiness) has the intention of showing not only what the country can do for you, but also what you can do for your country. To be truly the happiest country in the world, it requires the contribution of everyone who lives in it. Many outsiders think that Gross National Happiness exists as a mask for a country with a not so rosy past. In my humble opinion, I see Bhutan as a country trying to rewrite its story, trying to leave the past behind. I would say that every country in the world has a stain in its history, Bhutan is not the exception, unfortunately. Of course, there’s still a lot of work to be done, but I feel the country’s heading in the right direction.

Bhutan – A Multinational Country

It seems that I am describing the official name of Bolivia: “Plurinational State of Bolivia”. But Bhutan is almost the definition of diversity.

Source: Wikipedia

There are 20 languages (even more, actually) spoken in a country whose area is about half the area of Ireland. I still do not know how to speak any of them, but the languages spoken in the country are (no specific order):

• Dzongkha
• Cho-Cha-nga-cha-kha;
• Tshangla (Sharchop);
• Bumthangkha
• Khengkha;
• Kurtop;
• Nyenkha;
• Dzala;
• The Dakpa;
• Chali Kha;
• The Monpakha;
• Brokpa
• Brokkat
• Lakha
• B’okha (Tibetan)
• Nepali
• LHOKPU;
• Gongduk;
• Lepcha
• English

The official language of the country is Dzongkha, but interestingly, it is not the most spoken. In order, Nepali and Tshangla (Sharchop) are the most spoken languages. Dzongkha is only the third most spoken language. I will explain why Dzongkha is the official language of the country.

Driglam Namzha – Bhutan’s Official Behaviour and Dress Code

This is a very important aspect of the daily life of a Bhutanese. There are certain norms that are expected of a citizen of the country. This influences the way of dressing, behaving, the hierarchy within the society and even the architecture of the country. In government establishments, every Bhutanese citizen is required to wear the national dress, called Kira (feminine) and Gho (Male). Other essential pieces of clothing are worn over the left shoulder: the Rachu (feminine) and Kabney (male).

Bowing to people of higher status than yours is also part of Driglam Namzha. The more important the person, the lower we are expected to bow when we meet them.

Bhutan Ethnic Groups

Bhutan is composed of 3 large ethnic groups and several other minorities. The three main ethnicities of Bhutan are:

• The Ngalops: Ethnicity of descendants of Tibetans-The Royal Family of Bhutan is part of this ethnicity;
• The Sharchops: Or Easterners, are the predominant people of the east of the country;
• The Lhotshampas: Or Southerners, people predominantly of Nepali origin;

The House of Wangchuk, Bhutanese Royal Family, as said are Ngalops and speak Dzongkha. Due to this fact, the official language of the country and the language taught in schools along with English is Dzongkha. There is no formal education in any of the other languages of the country.

The Wangchuk Dynasty of Bhutan

The Bhutanese Royal Family emerged in the early Twentieth Century when monarchies around the world were falling for democracy to take its place. Since 1907, the King of Bhutan is called the “Dragon King” or “Druk Gyalpo”.

After divisions, wars, other wars, the governor of the Trongsa Province, Penlop Ugyen Wangchuk, fought in a civil war against pro-Tibet and anti-UK populations to ensure the unification of the region today known as Bhutan. Being Pro-United Kingdom, he had the support from the UK for the establishment of a monarchy in the country. In 1907, Ugyen Wangchuk became the First King, or Druk Gyalpo, of the Kingdom of Bhutan. In an agreement with the United Kingdom, the country’s internal affairs would be the responsibility of the Bhutanese government. Bhutan’s foreign relations would be dealt with by the United Kingdom.

A long time later, in 2018, this decision cost a lot of Bhutanese territory. Due to ambiguous border definitions with its neighbours from the north, the country ceded part of the northern territory to China.

Greatest Deeds of each Druk Gyalpo in Bhutan

Each King has had his conquests, but each one is responsible for certain very important things in particular.

First Druk Gyalpo – Ugyen Wangchuk

The First King of Bhutan became known for the unification of the country. After Unification, he limited international interference over the country. His reign lasted from 1907 to 1926.

According Druk Gyalpo – Jigme Wangchuk

The Second King of Bhutan continued the process of isolation of the country, maintaining only relations with the British Government of India. With India’s independence in 1948, he managed to secure the friendship agreement between the two countries, and so consolidating the monarchy in the country. His reign lasted from 1926 to 1952.

Third Druk Gyalpo – Jigme Dorji Wangchuk

With a consolidated monarchy, the Third King of Bhutan initiated the process of opening the country to the rest of the world. With the growth of instability around the world, and Mao’s growth in China, the Third King of Bhutan saw the need to ensure the independence of the country. He initiated the introduction of the country into several international organisations, including the United Nations (UN). This ensured the hegemony of the Kingdom of Bhutan with international oversight. He also initiated the process of democratisation of the country. His reign lasted from 1952 to 1972.

Druk Gyalpo Room – Jigme Singye Wangchuk

The Fourth King of Bhutan has a status of Deity within the country. During his reign, many things happened, and he is venerated by the Bhutanese population. During his reign, he continued the process of democratisation of Bhutan. The first constitution of the country, still in place, was written during his government under the supervision of the Minister of Justice Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye (personal contact!).

The first elections in the country happened at the end of his reign in 2008, when he abdicated the government in favour of his eldest son. His reign lasted from 1972 to 2008 (when he was 53 years of age). Gross National Happiness exists today because of him! Curiosity: The Fourth King is married to four women, all of whom are sisters.

Fifth Druk Gyalpo – Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk

The Fifth and present King of Bhutan ascended to the throne after his father’s abdication. According to the fourth King of Bhutan, it is important that Bhutan always has a young King. The Fifth King continues the process of democratisation of the country, always undergoing changes, but he is making his legacy mainly in the area of education. In almost all his speeches, education is priority. The reason I’m in Bhutan today it’s because of him. The Fifth King has many things to do, mainly to keep the Bhutanese people united. Man, people here love him! I’ve never seen a national leader as beloved as he is! I’m part of this team!

Why do I Like the King of Bhutan?

Dude, the guy’s ultra simple. Like, almost too simple for what’s expected of a monarch. Well, maybe monarchs from the rest of the world should follow his example a little. There are several stories in the country that only prove and strengthen these facts. There is a book, Radio Shangri-La, where an American woman, at the invitation of the King, came to Bhutan to start the first radio of the country. The King (Prince at the time) had received a BMW as a gift. What did he do? He sold the car to start the radio station. When the King needs to go to remote places of the country, how does he go? Helicopter? No! He puts on his hiking boots and goes hiking with everyone. The King camps with his fellow travellers and eats the same food. Once, I was in Paro, doing some shopping, when a forest fire started very close to the city. The King left where he was and, within a few hours, arrived in Paro. Together with the firefighters and volunteers of the country, he helped fight the fire. Well, I could say more things, but the bottom line is that I admire him a lot!

Start of Tourism in Bhutan

As the Third King of Bhutan began to open the country to the rest of the world, the fourth King, at the beginning of his reign, authorised the coming of the first tourists to Bhutan in 1973.

In the most iconic location of Bhutan and visited by thousands of tourists-the tiger’s Nest

Because the country had remained closed for so many years, there was (and still exists) the fear of the outside world having a negative influence in the country. Bhutan didn’t want what happened to Nepal and India to repeat itself. Therefore, they decided to control the number of tourists entering the country. They then decided to charge a daily fee for any tourist who entered the country.

In addition to keeping external influence to a minimum, the country also had the goal to continue protecting forests and their biodiversity. During the subsequent decades, several national parks and permanent protection areas have been established, transforming Bhutan into one of the countries with the most varied biodiversity. Part of the daily rate is used for the protection of the forests of the country. The number of tourists has been gradually growing year by year, but still remains relatively low. The number of non-Indian/regional tourists coming to the country is around 71000 per year. This is a hurling game at Croke Park! I talked about non-Indian tourists, because Indians (along with Bangladesh, Maldives and Nepal) do not need a visa or pay the daily tax to visit the country. There were 183,000 visitors from these countries in 2017.

The Year 1999

With well-established tourism, the time came to take the next step in the saga of opening the country to the rest of the world: allowing the use of television. In this regard, I think it has been a general consensus that it had a negative impact on the country, as the speed in which the country is changing picked up and got out of control. All of a sudden, everyone wanted and still wants to be the same as people in the west. There’s a good few things about the west that are not worth copying! One thing I find quite funny is that here, in every mountain top, there is a monastery where Buddhist monks live, living a quiet life, quietly playing their Candy Crush game on their smartphones.

Then I see the west. I see a great twist towards the pursuit of a more spiritual life, I see Buddhist monasteries emerging in every corner. In this regard I see the country, unfortunately, taking a step backward. Everything they already have, the west is trying to have in every possible way. Well, maybe they need to commit and learn from their own mistakes. But this whole change began just 20 years ago. At this point, the changes are faster than ever. Let’s see what the next 20 years will look like

My first one and a half years in the Country of Happiness

There Are opportunities we can’t let go of in life. Nowadays, visiting Bhutan is super easy. In the information age, where communication is easier than ever, organising a trip to Bhutan is easy. But coming to live here is still almost impossible. When I had the opportunity to come here, I couldn’t let this opportunity pass. I think the hardest thing would have been to say no.

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Reflections on Bhutan

I am a teacher in a school established by the King. During this time here, I have noticed many differences, many wonderful, others to make you think about life. Along with my wife, who also dropped everything to come here and help me add fuel to my dreams, we have reflected a lot about life in general. We live a very simple life here, sometimes by our own choosing, sometimes for lack of choice. Almost everything here is very expensive, because everything is imported. But food… My… I eat a lot here and I still lose weight without trying too hard. The country wants to be the first country with 100% organic agricultural production in the world.

At the moment, they are at around 80%. But as it is, everything you eat is at its right season. All fresh, harvested the day before or, depending on the schedule, on the same day. But in compensation, we don’t have many fruit options in winter and no mushrooms in the summer. But waiting is good, it makes us appreciate things more when the right time comes! I mentioned the year 1999 because I’ve never seen anything as impressive as speed with which I am seeing the country change. As I said at the beginning of this post, Bhutan today is not the Bhutan in which I arrived.

Living Here

This period of living here has given me a different perspective on the world. I’m not the kind of guy who says that travelling changes me, that I found myself here in Bhutan or anything. But this period here has made me put many of my “values” in check and made me rethink many things that I just took for granted in other parts of the world. It has been and will continue to be a fantastic experience! But of course, full of obstacles!

Posted by Wagner Nogueira

Wagner studied Theoretical Physics (B.Sc) and Climatology (M.Sc) at University College Dublin, in Ireland. He has Ph.D. in Meteorology from the University of Reading the Post-Graduate Certificate in Education from the University of Oxford. Today, he teaches physics and maths in Bhutan. He has a passion for history, animation, gardening and has visited 52 countries.