Punakha | Mysterious Bhutan, what exactly is there to do? 🇧🇹

Before visiting Bhutan, my impression of this small South Asian country was very vague. ✨ 🎁I only knew that Tony Leung and Carina Lau held their wedding here, and I had seen photos of the Tiger's Nest Monastery online but couldn't name it... Bhutan has only one international airport, and there are very few cities with direct flights. The most convenient way is to fly from Bangkok, with round-trip tickets costing over 900 US dollars. 🎊🎊 👉👈When traveling in Bhutan, you must have a guide; otherwise, buying tickets and entering scenic spots will be problematic. In addition, there is a daily sustainable development fee of 100 US dollars... In short, it's very inconvenient and expensive.😍😍 🌟What exactly is there to do in such a mysterious country? I spent 4 and a half days there this time, and here are the 4 most impressive things in my mind: 1️⃣ Visiting Dzongs A "Dzong" is a county-level administrative unit in Bhutan, and a Dzong fortress is the administrative center of each Dzong. 🎉 Since there are no high-rise buildings in Bhutan, Dzong fortresses are the most striking and magnificent buildings in various places. Pictures 1-8 show Punakha Dzong, the old capital of Bhutan. 🍡 👀This Dzong is built at the confluence of two rivers, and surprisingly, there are free-range chickens inside 🐓. 2️⃣ Experiencing Buddhist culture Buddhism is the state religion of Bhutan. During my trip in Bhutan, I asked my guide to help me distinguish which divine figures the Buddha statues were every day. ⛅ Gradually, I remembered that the one with bare arms is Drukpa Kunley, the one with a small mustache is Guru Rinpoche, the one with a red hat and a big beard is Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal who unified Bhutan, and the one holding an iron chain is Thangtong Gyalpo, the Iron Bridge Lama...🏘️ 🚜there is Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the "mad saint" Drukpa Kunley. He promoted Bhutan's fertility worship, and there is still a 25-centimeter-long wooden eggplant in the temple. Bhutanese people will carry this eggplant and walk around the temple three times to pray for children.👣 3️⃣ Trying Bhutanese cuisine Unlike its South Asian neighbors, the protagonist of Bhutanese cuisine is not curry but cheese. 🌲 😊😊The national dish, Ema Datshi, is a stew made with chili peppers and cheese. I also like Sikam Paa, another dish made with dried pork belly. 4️⃣ Celebrating the Tshechu Festival The Tshechu Festival is the birthday of Guru Rinpoche. It is held in different Dzongs every month. 💰💰 The largest ones are the Paro Tshechu in mid-April and the Thimphu Tshechu in early October. During the festival, there are folk performances for several consecutive days. I will share more about it in the next note~⚡ 👀In Bhutan, you can also go hiking in the mountains, play archery, take hot stone baths... In fact, there are quite a lot of experiences.😲 Moreover, Bhutan's traditional culture is well preserved. Men and women still wear traditional costumes, gho and kira.💕 Now that the world is becoming more and more homogenized, Bhutan can be said to "maintain its uniqueness".🦋🦋 #Bhutan#BhutanTravel #OffthebeatenpathDestinations