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Bhutan

232 images Created 15 Jan 2015

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  • A typical Bhutanese hand painted door at Paro Dzong (fortress), Western Bhutan. Lhazo (painting) is one of the 'Zong Chusum' or 13 traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan. Painting includes painting of religious pictures, murals and frescoes in temples and dzongs as well as the colourful images on the exterior walls of Bhutanese houses.
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  • A view of the small town of Paro on the banks of the Pa Chhu river from Rinchen Pung (Rinpung) Dzong in Western Bhutan. Paro town lies in the centre of the valley at an average elevation of 2880 m and was first formed in 1985 with one main street, lined with colourfully painted shops and restaurants. Recently new constructions in Bhutanese style have taken place at the back of the main street.
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  • A typical Bhutanese hand painted decoration at Paro Dzong (fortress), Western Bhutan. Lhazo (painting) is one of the 'Zong Chusum' or 13 traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan. Lhazo (painting) includes painting of religious pictures, murals and frescoes in temples and dzongs as well as the colourful images on the exterior walls of Bhutanese houses.
    DSCF4286cc_1.jpg
  • A view of the small town of Paro on the banks of the Pa Chhu river from Rinchen Pung (Rinpung) Dzong in Western Bhutan. Paro town lies in the centre of the valley at an average elevation of 2880 m and was first formed in 1985 with one main street, lined with colourfully painted shops and restaurants. Recently new constructions in Bhutanese style have taken place at the back of the main street.
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  • A framed photograph of the wedding of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck to commoner Jetsun Pema at Punakha Dzong on 13 October 2011 - in a tourist restaurant in Punakha, Western Bhutan. Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the fifth and current reigning Druk Gyalpo or "Dragon King" of the Kingdom of Bhutan.
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  • Portrait of a boy at Gasa tsachhu (hot springs) in Jigme Dorji National Park, Western Bhutan. At Gasa hot springs there are five pools with water temperature ranging from mild to extremely hot. During the winter months when farming work is done, families from all over Bhutan come here to relax in the restorative pools for many days.
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  • Families relaxing at Gasa tsachhu (hot springs) in Jigme Dorji National Park, Western Bhutan. At Gasa hot springs there are five pools with water temperature ranging from mild to extremely hot. During the winter months when farming work is done, families from all over Bhutan come here to relax in the restorative pools for many days.
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  • Families relaxing at Gasa tsachhu (hot springs) in Jigme Dorji National Park, Western Bhutan. At Gasa hot springs there are five pools with water temperature ranging from mild to extremely hot. During the winter months when farming work is done, families from all over Bhutan come here to relax in the restorative pools for many days.
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  • Families relaxing at Gasa tsachhu (hot springs) in Jigme Dorji National Park, Western Bhutan. At Gasa hot springs there are five pools with water temperature ranging from mild to extremely hot. During the winter months when farming work is done, families from all over Bhutan come here to relax in the restorative pools for many days.
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  • Women relaxing at Gasa tsachhu (hot springs) in Jigme Dorji National Park, Western Bhutan. At Gasa hot springs there are five pools with water temperature ranging from mild to extremely hot. During the winter months when farming work is done, families from all over Bhutan come here to relax in the restorative pools for many days.
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  • A woman wearing a kira, the Bhutanese national dress carries a large load of dried leaves to use as animal bedding, Daimji village, Western Bhutan. The kira is the national dress for women in Bhutan. It is an ankle-length dress consisting of a rectangular piece of woven fabric, wrapped and folded around the body and pinned at both shoulders, usually with silver brooches, and bound at the waist with a long belt. Women's hair is usually cut short. Despite rapid urbanisation, the majority of people, 66% of all households, still live in rural Bhutan, most dependent on the cultivation of crops and livestock breeding.
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  • Potato field and rice terraces during the Winter in the remote mountain village of Gyenshari in Western Bhutan. Despite rapid urbanisation, the majority of people, 66% of all households, still live in rural Bhutan, most dependent on the cultivation of crops and livestock breeding.
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  • Farmhouses and rice terraces in the remote mountain village of Gyenshari in Western Bhutan. Despite rapid urbanisation, the majority of people, 66% of all households, still live in rural Bhutan, most dependent on the cultivation of crops and livestock breeding.
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  • Pots and pans in a typical Bhutanese farmhouse kitchen, Gyenshari village, Western Bhutan
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  • The Mo Chhu (Mother River) running along the Punakha valley in Jigme Dorji National Park, Western Bhutan
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  • The Mo Chhu (Mother River) running along the Punakha valley in Jigme Dorji National Park, Western Bhutan.
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  • A young Layap woman from Laya spins sheep wool using a drop spindle called a Yoekpa, Punakha, Western Bhutan. The Layap are inhabitants of the northernmost region of Bhutan. Traditionally, their clothes are woven from yak hair and wool although the younger women often wear the kira, the Bhutanese national dress. They are a semi-nomadic tribe whose source of livelihood is dependent on yaks and sheep the products of which they barter with the people of Punakha for daily necessities. Given the geographic isolation of many of Bhutan's villages, there are 16 different dialects and 14 regional groups in the country. Many tribes have kept alive their distinct cultural identities through their dress, language and traditions over the years.
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  • A Layap woman from Laya spins sheep wool using a drop spindle called a Yoekpa, Punakha, Western Bhutan. The Layap are inhabitants of the northernmost region of Bhutan. Their clothes are woven from yak hair and wool. They are a semi-nomadic tribe whose source of livelihood is dependent on yaks and sheep the products of which they barter with the people of Punakha for daily necessities. Given the geographic isolation of many of Bhutan's villages, there are 16 different dialects and 14 regional groups in the country. Many tribes have kept alive their distinct cultural identities through their dress, language and traditions over the years.
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  • A Layap woman from Laya holds a ball of sheep wool which was spun using a drop spindle called a Yoekpa, Punakha, Western Bhutan. The Layap are inhabitants of the northernmost region of Bhutan. Their clothes are woven from yak hair and wool. They are a semi-nomadic tribe whose source of livelihood is dependent on yaks and sheep the products of which they barter with the people of Punakha for daily necessities. Given the geographic isolation of many of Bhutan's villages, there are 16 different dialects and 14 regional groups in the country. Many tribes have kept alive their distinct cultural identities through their dress, language and traditions over the years.
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  • A farmer wearing a handwoven kira, the Bhutanese national dress, dries rice outside her home in Richengang village near Wangdue, Western Bhutan. Despite rapid urbanisation, the majority of people, 66% of all households, still live in rural Bhutan, most dependent on the cultivation of crops and livestock breeding.
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  • A farmer wearing a handwoven kira, the Bhutanese national dress, prepares rice for cooking outside her home in Richengang village near Wangdue, Western Bhutan. Despite rapid urbanisation, the majority of people, 66% of all households, still live in rural Bhutan, most dependent on the cultivation of crops and livestock breeding.
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  • Punakha Dzong (fortress) situated on the junction of the Mo Chhu (Mother river) and the Pa Chhu (Father river) in Punakha, Western Bhutan. Considered the most beautiful and impressive Dzong in Bhutan, Punakha Dzong was the second fortress to be built in Bhutan and it served as the capital and seat of the government until 1955 when Thimphu became the captial of Bhutan.
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  • Portrait of two Buddhist monks at Punakha Dzong (fortress), Western Bhutan. Traditionally, Bhutanese families would, if they were able, send one son to join a monastery. This was viewed as creating merit for the family and household and a blessing for the child. Often from poor families, once in the monastery, their daily lives revolve around learning to read and write. Punakha Dzong was the second dzong to be built in Bhutan and it served as the capital and seat of the government until 1955 when Thimphu became the captial of Bhutan.
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  • Portrait of two Buddhist monks at Punakha Dzong (fortress), Western Bhutan. Traditionally, Bhutanese families would, if they were able, send one son to join a monastery. This was viewed as creating merit for the family and household and a blessing for the child. Often from poor families, once in the monastery, their daily lives revolve around learning to read and write. Punakha Dzong was the second dzong to be built in Bhutan and it served as the capital and seat of the government until 1955 when Thimphu became the captial of Bhutan.
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  • Buddhist monk shave their heads on the banks of the Mo Chhu (Mother river) in preparation for a ritual ceremony, Punakha Dzong, Western Bhutan. Traditionally, Bhutanese families would, if they were able, send one son to join a monastery. This was viewed as creating merit for the family and household and a blessing for the child. Often from poor families, once in the monastery, their daily lives revolve around learning to read and write.
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  • A Buddhist monk with a newly shaven head on the banks of the Mo Chhu (Mother river) in preparation for a ritual ceremony, Punakha Dzong, Western Bhutan. Traditionally, Bhutanese families would, if they were able, send one son to join a monastery. This was viewed as creating merit for the family and household and a blessing for the child. Often from poor families, once in the monastery, their daily lives revolve around learning to read and write.
    DSCF4435cc_1.jpg
  • Buddhist monks shaving their heads on the banks of the Mo Chhu (Mother river) in preparation for a ritual ceremony, Punakha Dzong, Western Bhutan. Traditionally, Bhutanese families would, if they were able, send one son to join a monastery. This was viewed as creating merit for the family and household and a blessing for the child. Often from poor families, once in the monastery, their daily lives revolve around learning to read and write.
    DSCF4438cc_1.jpg
  • Punakha Dzong (fortress) situated on the junction of the Mo Chhu (Mother river) and the Pho Chhu (Father river) in Punakha, Western Bhutan. Considered the most beautiful and impressive Dzong in Bhutan, Punakha Dzong was the second fortress to be built in Bhutan and it served as the capital and seat of the government until 1955 when Thimphu became the captial of Bhutan.
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  • A young Bhutanese man holds darts used for playing 'khuru' a darts game played by men on a field about 20m long with small wooden targets, Sopsokha village, Western Bhutan. The darts are usually homemade from a block of wood and a nail, with chicken feathers or plastic for flights.
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  • The huge 50 metre tall steel Buddha Dordenma statue, the largest Buddha statue in the world is situated on a ridge top overlooking Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan.
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  • A view of Thimphu from the Buddha Dordenma, Western Bhutan. Thimphu is the capital city and also the name of the valley which has an average elevation of 2300m. With an estimated population of around 100,000 Thimphu is Bhutan's largest city. Rapid expansion following rural exodus has resulted in rebuilding in the city centre and mushrooming suburban development elsewhere. By regulation, all buildings are required to be designed in traditional style with Buddhist paintings and motifs.
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  • The huge 50 metre tall steel Buddha Dordenma statue, the largest Buddha statue in the world is situated on a ridge top overlooking Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan.
    A0028711cc_1.jpg
  • Situated in Western Bhutan, Thimphu is the capital city and also the name of the valley which has an average elevation of 2300m. With an estimated population of around 100,000 Thimphu is Bhutan's largest city. Rapid expansion following rural exodus has resulted in rebuilding in the city centre and mushrooming suburban development elsewhere. By regulation, all buildings are required to be designed in traditional style with Buddhist paintings and motifs.
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  • Situated in Western Bhutan, Thimphu is the capital city and also the name of the valley which has an average elevation of 2300m. With an estimated population of around 100,000 Thimphu is Bhutan's largest city. Rapid expansion following rural exodus has resulted in rebuilding in the city centre and mushrooming suburban development elsewhere. By regulation, all buildings are required to be designed in traditional style with Buddhist paintings and motifs.
    A0028720cc_1.jpg
  • Situated in Western Bhutan, Thimphu is the capital city and also the name of the valley which has an average elevation of 2300m. With an estimated population of around 100,000 Thimphu is Bhutan's largest city. Rapid expansion following rural exodus has resulted in rebuilding in the city centre and mushrooming suburban development elsewhere. By regulation, all buildings are required to be designed in traditional style with Buddhist paintings and motifs.
    DSCF4468cc_1.jpg
  • Situated in Western Bhutan, Thimphu is the capital city and also the name of the valley which has an average elevation of 2300m. With an estimated population of around 100,000 Thimphu is Bhutan's largest city. Rapid expansion following rural exodus has resulted in rebuilding in the city centre and mushrooming suburban development elsewhere. By regulation, all buildings are required to be designed in traditional style with Buddhist paintings and motifs.
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  • Two Bhutanese woman holding prayer wheels and rosary beads praying at the National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, Western Bhutan. This large Tibetan-style chorten is one of the most visible religious structures in Thimphu and for many Bhutanese it is the focus of their daily worship. It was built in 1974 as a memorial to the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. Throughout the day people circumambulate the chorten, whirl the large red prayer wheels and pray at a small shrine inside the gate.
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  • A Bhutanese woman holding a prayer wheel and rosary beads praying at the National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, Western Bhutan. This large Tibetan-style chorten is one of the most visible religious structures in Thimphu and for many Bhutanese it is the focus of their daily worship. It was built in 1974 as a memorial to the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. Throughout the day people circumambulate the chorten, whirl the large red prayer wheels and pray at a small shrine inside the gate.
    A0028726cc_1.jpg
  • A Bhutanese woman holding a prayer wheel and rosary beads praying at the National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, Western Bhutan. This large Tibetan-style chorten is one of the most visible religious structures in Thimphu and for many Bhutanese it is the focus of their daily worship. It was built in 1974 as a memorial to the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. Throughout the day people circumambulate the chorten, whirl the large red prayer wheels and pray at a small shrine inside the gate.
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  • Arrows resting against a wall during an archery tournament in Thimphu, Western Bhutan. 'Datse' (archery) is Bhutan's national sport and is played wherever there is enough space and remains the favourite sport for men of all ages. There are archery tournaments held throughout the country. The targets are placed 140m apart. If the contestant hits his target, his team mates will perform a slow dance and sing his praises, while he slips a coloured scarf into his belt.
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  • A Bhutanese man wearing a traditional 'gho' at an archery tournament, Thimphu, Western Bhutan. 'Datse' (archery) is Bhutan's national sport and is played wherever there is enough space and remains the favourite sport for men of all ages. There are archery tournaments held throughout the country. The targets are placed 140m apart. If the contestant hits his target, his team mates will perform a slow dance and sing his praises, while he slips a coloured scarf into his belt.
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  • A Bhutanese man wearing a traditional 'gho' at an archery tournament, Thimphu, Western Bhutan. 'Datse' (archery) is Bhutan's national sport and is played wherever there is enough space and remains the favourite sport for all ages. There are archery tournaments held throughout the country. The targets are placed 140m apart. If the contestant hits his target, his team mates will perform a slow dance and sing his praises, while he slips a coloured scarf into his belt.
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  • View of Tashichho dzong in Bhutan's capital city Thimphu. Taschichho Dzong, meaning the fortress of "auspicious doctrine" thas traditionally been the seat of the Dharma Raja and summer capital of the country. Presently it houses the throne room and offices of the king, the secretariat and the ministries of home affairs and finance. The Dzong was the site of the formal coronation of the fifth king in 2008 and hosts the city's annual Tsechu festival. The main structure of the dzong is two-storied with four three-storied towers at each corner, topped by triple-tiered golden roofs. In the center of the building is a large central tower called utse.
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  • Prayer wheels, an ubiquitous sight in Bhutan, are revolving cylinders filled with printed prayers that are 'activated' each time the wheel is turned clockwise. Buddhist monks and devotees turn prayer wheels to gain merit and to concentrate the mind on the mantras and prayers they are reciting.
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  • Prayer flags hanging from pine trees and the Haa Chhu river in Yangthang village, Haa Valley, Western Bhutan. Prayer flags are ubiquitous in Bhutan and come in five colours - blue, green, red, yellow and white - symbolising the elements of water, wood, fire, earth and iron. The prayer for the flag is carved into wooden blocks and then printed on the cloth in repeating patterns.
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  • An elderly man wearing a 'gho' the traditional clothing for Bhutanese men outside his farmhouse in Yangthang village, Haa valley, Western Bhutan. The 'gho' is a long robe hoisted to knee length and held in place by a woven cloth belt called a 'kera'. According to tradition, men should carry a small knife called a 'dozum' at the waist.
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  • A farmhouse In Yangthang village in the Haa valley, Western Bhutan. A typical Bhutanese house is two storeys high with a large airy attic used for storage. In rural areas the ground floor is always used as a barn and the upper floor as the living quarters. In most houses, one elaborately decorated room called the 'choesum' serves as a chapel. In Western Bhutan the walls are usually made of compacted earth. Afterwards the walls are whitewashed and painted decorations added. Phallic decoration is believed to ward off evil spirits and encourage fertility.
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  • Traditional Bhutanese snacks including maize, popcorn and puffed rice served in bamboo baskets and offered to guests, Yangthang village, Haa valley, Western; Bhutan
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  • Portait of a Bhutanese woman wearing a kira, the traditional dress outside her home in Yangthang village, Haa valley, Western Bhutan. The kira is the national dress for women in Bhutan. It is an ankle-length dress consisting of a rectangular piece of woven fabric, wrapped and folded around the body and pinned at both shoulders, usually with silver brooches, and bound at the waist with a long belt. Women's hair is usually cut short.
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  • An early morning winter landscape in the Haa valley, Western Bhutan.
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  • A khuru dart embedded in a small wooden target in a remote rural village in the Haa valley, Western Bhutan. Khuru is a darts game played by men on a field about 20m long with small wooden targets. The darts are usually homemade from a block of wood and a nail, with chicken feathers or plastic for flights.
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  • A young Bhutanese woman sunbathing next to a pine needle stack in the Haa valley, Western Bhutan. Pine needles are collected from the forests and used as animal bedding by farmers in remote areas. Despite rapid urbanisation, the majority of people, 66% of all households, still live in rural Bhutan, most dependent on the cultivation of crops and livestock breeding.
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  • Locally produced 'juma' blood sausage for sale at the Sunday market in Paro, Western Bhutan. Paro's weekly market is a small traditional market and the place to purchase Bhutan's unique local products.
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  • Locally produced red rice, which has a slightly nutty flavour, for sale at the Sunday market in Paro, Western Bhutan. Paro's weekly market is a small traditional market and the place to purchase Bhutan's unique local products.
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  • A roll of Brokpa handwoven yak hair fabric from the village of Merak in the extreme northeast region of Bhutan. The Brokpa are a semi-nomadic tribe whose source of livelihood is dependent on yaks and sheep, the products of which they barter with the Tshanglas of neighbouring villages for their necessities.
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  • A string of rock-hard locally produced 'chhugho' dried yak cheese for sale at a roadside stall in Western Bhutan.
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  • Locally produced dried riverweed known as 'seaweed' for sale at Thimphu weekend market, Western Bhutan. Vendors from throughout the region  come to Thimphu's weekend market to sell their local products.
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  • Dried tea leaves for making 'suja', salty yak butter tea, for sale at the Sunday produce market in Paro, Western Bhutan. Paro's weekly market is a small traditional market and the place to purchase Bhutan's unique local products.
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  • 'Datse', a small handmade cheese made from cow's milk for sale at the Sunday market in Paro, Western Bhutan. Paro's weekly market is a small traditional market and the place to purchase Bhutan's unique local products. Datse is used in almost every Bhutanese dish including the national dish 'ema datse', chillies with cheese.
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  • 'Datse', a small handmade cheese made from cow's milk for sale at the Sunday market in Paro, Western Bhutan. Paro's weekly market is a small traditional market and the place to purchase Bhutan's unique local products. Datse is used in almost every Bhutanese dish including the national dish 'ema datse', chillies with cheese.
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  • Painted sign along the roadside in Trashigang, Eastern Bhutan.
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  • Close up of a woollen yathra blanket from the Bumthang region in central Bhutan. Yathra is a hand woven fabric made from the wool of sheep and yak and is the most famous textile product of Bumthang. Produced on a Tibetan style loom, yathra cloth is woven in strips and made into skarfs, jackets, blankets; table cloths and bags.
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  • Demolition of a village house in rural Bhutan. Phallic decoration is believed to ward off evil spirits and encourage fertility.
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  • The forested slopes of the mountains near to the Brokpa village of Thagthi, Eastern Bhutan. Though the government policy is to maintain at least 60% of the land as forest, the present ratio is higher, with more than 70% of the country covered in forests of conifers and mixed broadleaf species.
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  • Green chillies for sale along the roadside in rural Bhutan. Chillies are the main ingredient in the Bhutanese national dish 'ema datse', chillies with cheese.
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  • A view of the Brokpa village of Thagthi amongst the forested mountains of Eastern Bhutan. Though the government policy is to maintain at least 60% of the land as forest, the present ratio is higher, with more than 70% of the country covered in forests of conifers and mixed broadleaf species.
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  • The stupa and prayer flags at the top of the Nachung-La mountain pass (4153m) between the Brokpa villages of Merak and Sakteng, Eastern Bhutan. Prayer flags are ubiquitous in Bhutan often found fluttering on mountain passes. They come in five colours - blue, green, red, yellow and white - symbolising the elements of water, wood, fire, earth and iron.
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  • Local produce displayed in woven baskets for sale in Trashigang farmer's market, Eastern Bhutan.
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  • Brokpa herdsmen carrying supplies to the remote and roadless village of Saktieng using cows and yaks. As virtually nothing grows in Merak and Sakteng, the Brokpas trade their butter, cheese and yak meat with neighbouring villages for daily necessities.
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  • The ancient route between the two Brokpa villages of Merak and Sakteng, only passable on foot, includes the Nachung-La mountain pass (4153m) and is the only direct route between the two Brokpa villages.
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  • Yaks follow the ancient route between the two Brokpa villages of Merak and Sakteng in Eastern Bhutan. The trail is only passable on foot and passes over the Nachung-La mountain pass (4153m) and is the only direct route between the two Brokpa villages.
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  • Children queueing up for lunch at a rural boarding school during the weekend in Radhi village, Bhutan. Most villages have a primary school although in very remote areas it is not uncommon for children to board even during the early years. Lunch usually consists of potato soup and rice.
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  • The ancient route between the two Brokpa villages of Merak and Sakteng, only passable on foot, includes the Nachung-La mountain pass (4153m) and is the only direct route between the two Brokpa villages.
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  • The view of the remote and roadless Brokpa village of Merak from the footpath heading towards Sakteng, Eastern Bhutan
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  • The ancient route between the two Brokpa villages of Merak and Sakteng, only passable on foot, includes the Nachung-La mountain pass (4153m) and is the only direct route between the two Brokpa villages.
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  • A Brokpa woman washes clothes and collects water for household use at the standpipe in the remote and roadless village of Merak, Eastern Bhutan. The Brokpa, the semi-nomads of the villages of Merak and Sakteng are said to have migrated to Bhutan a few centuries ago from the Tshona region of Southern Tibet. Thriving on rearing yaks and sheep, the Brokpas have maintained many of their unique traditions and customs. In summer they move to the pastures with their yaks and sheep and in winter they return to live in their houses, normally built of stones with small ventilation to protect from the piercing cold weather.
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  • A view of the flowering rhododendrons and Buddhist prayers flags on the hillside outside the Brokpa ethnic minority village of Merak, Eastern Bhutan
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  • Boys wearing the traditional Bhutanese 'gho' watching television through the window of the village shop in Radhi, Eastern Bhutan
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  • Early morning in the remote and roadless Brokpa village of Merak in Eastern Bhutan. Thriving on rearing yaks and sheep, the semi-nomadic Brokpa have maintained many of their unique traditions and customs. In summer they move to the pastures with their yaks and sheep and in winter they return to live in their houses, normally built of stones with small ventilation to protect from the piercing cold weather.
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  • Smallholder/farmer Karma holds a bucket of milk after hand milking one of his 11 cows in the Tang Valley, Bumthang, Central Bhutan. Rural Bhutanese farmers make butter and cheese partly for storage or as a preserved form of milk for self consumption, with any excess being sold for cash.
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  • A Brokpa woman washes clothes at the standpipe in the early morning in the remote and roadless village of Merak, Eastern Bhutan. The Brokpa, the semi-nomads of the villages of Merak and Sakteng are said to have migrated to Bhutan a few centuries ago from the Tshona region of Southern Tibet. Thriving on rearing yaks and sheep, the Brokpas have maintained many of their unique traditions and customs. In summer they move to the pastures with their yaks and sheep and in winter they return to live in their houses, normally built of stones with small ventilation to protect from the piercing cold weather.
    DSCF5642cc_1.jpg
  • Smallholder/farmer Karma hand milking one of his 11 cows in the Tang Valley, Bumthang, Central Bhutan. Rural Bhutanese farmers make butter and cheese partly for storage or as a preserved form of milk for self consumption, with any excess being sold for cash.
    A0030870cc_1.jpg
  • Weaving a woollen yathra blanket on a Tibetan style loom in Chumey village, Bumthang, Central Bhutan. Yathra is a hand woven fabric made from the wool of sheep and yak and is the most famous textile product of Bumthang. Yathra cloth is made into skarfs, jackets, blankets, tablecloths and bags.
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  • Portrait of smallholder/farmer Karma holding a bucket of milk after hand milking one of his 11 cows in the Tang Valley, Bumthang, Central Bhutan. Rural Bhutanese farmers make butter and cheese partly for storage or as a preserved form of milk for self consumption, with any excess being sold for cash.
    A0030876cc_1.jpg
  • A hand painted decoration on a traditional wooden house in Radhi village, Eastern Bhutan. Lhazo (painting) includes painting of religious pictures, murals and frescoes in temples and dzongs as well as the colourful images on the exterior walls of Bhutanese houses.
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  • Locally grown vegetables displayed in woven baskets for sale outside the village shop in Radhi village in Eastern Bhutan.
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  • An elderly Bhutanese man standing on a road side looking down the beautiful Tang Valley, Bumthang, Central Bhutan.
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  • A Brokpa farmer hand making fresh cow's milk butter by hand, Thagthi village, Eastern Bhutan. Rural Bhutanese farmers make butter and cheese partly for storage or as a preserved form of milk for self consumption, with any excess being sold for cash or traded with neighbouring villages for daily necessities.
    A0030787cc_1.jpg
  • A handwoven woollen yathra skarf on a Tibetan style loom outside her farmhouse in the Tang Valley, Bumthang, Central Bhutan. Yathra is a hand woven fabric made from the wool of sheep and yak and is the most famous textile product of Bumthang. Yathra cloth is made into skarfs, jackets, table cloths and bags.
    A0030842cc_1.jpg
  • A stupa located at the entrance to the roadless Brokpa village of Sakteng, Eastern Bhutan.
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  • Dhenchen Chezom weaves a woollen yathra skarf on a Tibetan style loom outside her farmhouse in the Tang Valley, Bumthang, Central Bhutan. Yathra is a hand woven fabric made from the wool of sheep and yak and is the most famous textile product of Bumthang. Yathra cloth is made into skarfs, jackets, blankets; table cloths and bags.
    A0030836cc_1.jpg
  • A Brokpa farmer shaping fresh cow's milk butter by hand, Thagthi village, Eastern Bhutan. Rural Bhutanese farmers make butter and cheese partly for storage or as a preserved form of milk for self consumption, with any excess being sold for cash or traded with neighbouring villages for daily necessities.
    A0030824cc_1.jpg
  • Freshly made butter on the kitchen floor of a Brokpa ethnic minority house in Thagthi, Eastern Bhutan. Rural Bhutanese farmers and herders make butter and cheese partly for storage or as a preserved form of milk for self consumption, with any excess being sold for cash or traded with neighbouring villages for daily necessities.
    A0030830cc_1.jpg
  • A Brokpa ethnic minority woman holding potatoes covered in earth after harvesting from her vegetable garden in Thagthi village in Eastern Bhutan
    A0030760cc_1.jpg
  • A Brokpa woman making 'Datse', a small handmade cheese made from cow's milk. Rural Bhutanese farmers make butter and cheese partly for storage or as a preserved form of milk for self consumption, with any excess being sold for cash or traded with neighbouring villages for daily necessities.
    A0030818cc_1.jpg
  • Wearing a traditional deerskin vest, a Brokpa yak herder spins yak hair using a drop spindle known as a yoekpa whilst returning from the pastures to the remote village of Sakteng in Eastern Bhutan. The Brokpa, the semi-nomads of the villages of Merak and Sakteng are said to have migrated to Bhutan a few centuries ago from the Tshona region of Southern Tibet. Thriving on rearing yaks and sheep, the Brokpas have maintained many of their unique traditions and customs.
    A0030734cc_1.jpg
  • Freshly made butter on the kitchen floor of a Brokpa ethnic minority house in Thagthi, Eastern Bhutan. Rural Bhutanese farmers make butter and cheese partly for storage or as a preserved form of milk for self consumption, with any excess being sold for cash or traded with neighbouring villages for daily necessities.
    A0030797cc_1.jpg
  • A Brokpa farmer hand churn's cow's milk to make into butter, Thagthi village, Eastern Bhutan. The Brokpa are a semi-nomadic tribe whose source of livelihood is dependent on yaks and sheep, the products of which they trade with neighbouring villages for daily necessities.
    A0030771cc_1.jpg
  • A Brokpa ethnic minority woman holding potatoes covered in earth after harvesting from her vegetable garden in Thagthi village in Eastern Bhutan
    A0030757cc_1.jpg
  • Indian made metal spoons used for cooking and make tea hang in a Brokpa kitchen in the remote village of Sakteng, Eastern Bhutan.
    A0030731cc_1.jpg
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