Situated in the eastern Himalayas and bordered by China and India, Bhutan rises in just a few hundred miles from steamy jungles to some of the world's highest peaks. No roads led outside of the Kingdom until the 1960s, and access by air became possible only a few decades ago. This isolation throughout its history has provided refuge for its people to live and practice their rich cultural traditions freely.
The Festival will celebrate Bhutan's special approach towards life in the 21st century, which, as national policy, is described as the pursuit of "Gross National Happiness." The Bhutanese have chosen a different path towards development, rooted in deep respect for and protection of the Kingdom's unique resources.
With approximately 95 percent of its people practicing traditional farming, Bhutan is an agrarian society where people live close to the land that sustains them. Their eco-friendly practices are in part responsible for Bhutan's designation as a biodiversity "hot-spot." Bhutan also is the last country where the Vajrayana form of Mahayana Buddhism is practiced extensively and influences all aspects of daily life.
The Festival will bring more than 100 Bhutanese artists, dancers, craftspeople, cooks, carpenters, farmers, and representatives of monastic life who will celebrate the living traditions that define and sustain their culture. Artisans will demonstrate Bhutan's thirteen traditional arts (zorig chusum) and specifically how these link the people to the land. Weavers will showcase the diversity of complex weaving traditions that have made Bhutanese textiles some of the most coveted in the world today. Sculptors, painters, and carvers will demonstrate the skilled arts that continue to adorn monasteries and temples, as well as most Bhutanese homes. Monastic dancers will perform ritual masked dances from the highly choreographed and symbolic sacred festivals (tsechus).
For information on how you can support the Bhutan program, contact Kevin Blackerby at 202.633.6436 or blackerbyk@si.edu.
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