BACKGROUND TO THE LAND OF THE THUNDER DRAGON.

 22nd April 2026

The Bhutanese flag

The National flag, yellow and orange (it's not called red) with a white dragon holding jewels in its claws. The yellow symbolises the secular authority of the King and civil traditions. The amber the spiritual power of Buddhism. The white dragon (druk) represents the name of Bhutan ("Druk Yul", Land of the Thunder Dragon) and symbolises purity and loyalty. The jewels represent the wealth, security and perfection of the nation. The population of Bhutan numbers about 800,000.

Bhutan, a landlocked mountainous Himalayan country, has a complicated history. It has never been colonised but came about by the various invasions of warlords from Tibet which borders it to the north. It has had (and still does have) mutually beneficial 'dealings' with India and did with the British when they were in that part of the world. It has few dealings with China. It is a staunchly Buddhist country. It became an absolute hereditary monarchy at the beginning of the 20th century and is now a constitutional one. Great respect is shown both to the Buddhist tradition and to the King. The Buddhist religion here stems from a 'legendary' character called Guru Rinpoche who was 'born out of a fiery lotus flower' as a reincarnation of Buddha in the 8th century. There are so many myths, fables, legends, reincarnations, magic etc. concerning this religion I failed to keep up! The monarchy (Kings only please) started in 1907. I will try, probably hopelessly, to summarise the history.

Bhutan (it had several previous names and is now called Druk Yul by the Bhutanese) first became a 'semi-united' autonomous country in the 17th century after an ex-Tibetan lama/warlord called Zhabdrung Namgyal built several fortresses (Dzongs) across the area. He is credited with being the founder...although, due to the mountainous terrain, it contained many communities which never met one another, or if they did it was probably only to fight.

Another warlord, Jigme Namgyal (nicknamed The Black Ruler), who ruled the place in the 19th/early 20th century produced a son whom, after much civil strife, he appointed as the first King and started the Wangchuck dynasty. The capital city, containing the Royal Palace, was originally Punakha, but this was moved by the third King to the present capital of Thimphu which had more space for development ...and it continues to expand and develop.

Left: The first King. Termed 'A Monarch of Destiny'. 1907 - 1926.

Right: The second King. 'The Consolidator'. 1926 - 1952.

Left: The third King. 'The Father of Modern Bhutan'. 1952 - 1972. A greatly respected monarch who, with many technical, building and cultural initiatives, brought the country kicking and screaming into the 20th century.

Right: The fourth King. 'Propounder of Gross National Happiness'. 1972 - 2006 when he abdicated and established the present constitutional monarchy. He is still alive and holds influential jobs in the Government. His son became King. This philosophy of 'Gross National Happiness' is considered more important than 'Gross Domestic Product'....and they are proud of it.

Left: The fifth, and present, King. 2006 - onwards. 'The People's King'. Another much respected monarch.

Click on to enlarge these photos to read the plaques.

Above: There are 20 'provinces' in the country, and due to their mountainous and semi-impassable separation from one another developed their own languages....and still use them. In fact, I was told, there are 19 different languages/dialects. However there are two common languages spoken by all, namely Dzongkha and English!

To further enhance these provinces' isolation there were no 'motorable' roads between them, or anywhere else, until 1961. Transport was, up until then, restricted to mule, pony, yak or on foot. There are now several good asphalt roads which zig-zag, with hairpin bends, up and along the steep valley sides to surmount the high passes, although some at the tops are still dirt tracks in the process of being completed. Being driven up or down these roads in our mini-bus was a slow and somewhat unnerving experience. On the outer side of the bus the wheels were often only about 3 feet away from sheer vertical 1000ft+ drops down to the valley floor. Viewing that from a window seat was quite alarming and not good for those who have a fear of heights (acrophobia). Our driver, Tensin, negotiated these arduous and perilous routes over many hours of flawless driving (otherwise I would not be here to write this!) PS. They drive on the left side of the road here, as per India.

There are extraordinary and amusing road signs along the larger lower 'highways' in the valleys, all written in English. As below. The Bhutanese have a good sense of humour!

Signage:

• "No Hurry, No Worry"
• "Be Gentle on My Bends"
• "Going Faster Will See Disaster"
• "On the Bend, Go Slow Friend"
• "Life is a Journey, Complete It"
• "Time is Money, But Life is Precious"
• "Don’t Hurry, Be Cool, Since Heaven is Already Full"
• "After Whiskey, Driving Risky"
• "Drinking Whiskey Driving Risky"
• "Let Thy Horn Be Gentle"
• "Speed Thrills But Kills"
• "Safety is Price Less, So Be Careful"
• "Better Be Late Than Never"
• "Don't Be A Foodie On Road"
• "Kiss Her Goodnight, But Not While Driving"

Right: Throughout the countryside between trees and along stretches of paths, roads and rivers Buddhist prayer flags are hung, seemingly at random, in abundance. They have 'mantras' written on them in tiny Tibetan script.

Yellow flag for 'earth', green for 'water', blue for 'sky', red for 'fire' and white for 'air'.

That will do for now as a background 'starter' for our impending travels. These were to be far ranging and I suffered from serious 'information overload' at all the various places we visited (many fortresses, stupas, temples, museums etc.) as well as some long and quite exhausting hikes up and down vertiginous high altitude countryside.

To be continued.....at length I'm afraid.