Bhutan maintains its culture of Vajrayana Buddhism and remains a place of pilgrimage

Mural of Thangthong Gyalpo inside the
bridge-house at Tachog Lhakhang

 

Thangtong Gyalpo is known as the ‘Tibetan Leonardo Da Vinci’. He is known as the creator of Tibetan opera and he used the money made from opera performances to finance bridge-building.

There is a sense of living history and living practice in Bhutan. Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin comments: ‘It was inspiring to be able to spend time in this wonderful environment.’

Bhutan is famous for having a $250/day ‘Tourist Tax’ aimed at enabling Bhutan to have an income from tourism whilst reducing the negative impact that tourism can have.

In fact the cost isn’t a Tax. it is simply a fixed payment which then pays for the entirety of your stay in Bhutan. This covers the cost of the hotel, food, guides, transport and visits to places of interest. Once you arrive in Bhutan there is little need to pay for anything at all and you may feel like royalty. In this way, Bhutan remains Bhutanese rather than trying to create a tourist attraction.

Aro gTér Lineage practitioners visit Bhutan because it maintains its culture of Vajrayana Buddhism and remains a place of pilgrimage for Vajrayana Buddhists.