Bhutanese customs and taboos

Kingdom of Bhutan (Tibetan pinyin: Zhugyü), referred to as "Bhutan". It has been a tribe in Tubo since the 8th century. After the Yuan Dynasty unified Xizang, it was under the jurisdiction of the Xuanzheng Yuan. It did not become independent until the Qing Dynasty, and was deeply influenced by Tibetan culture. It is called Bulukba in the Chinese historical books of the Qing Dynasty. Bhutan is the last country in the world to open up television and the Internet. Its economy is relatively backward and it is still one of the least developed countries, but Bhutan has one of the countries with the highest happiness index in the world. In the "Global Happy Countries Ranking" released in 2006, Bhutan ranked 8th and first in Asia.

Bhutan is located on the southern slope of the eastern Himalayas between China and India (the southern bottom of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau), with an area of 38,400 square kilometers and a total population of approximately 798,000 (2012 statistics). The Bhutanese people are the majority ethnic group in Bhutan. The ethnic groups in Bhutan can be divided into three categories: the Sharchopu people, indigenous people living in eastern Bhutan; and the Garong people, most of whom live in western Bhutan and are descendants of Tibetan immigrants in the 9th century; and the Loshampa people, or translated into Nepal Luo.

网站图片位

Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan and the largest city in the country. It is located in the Wang River Valley, at an altitude of 2500 meters. It was designated as the capital of Bhutan in 1955. Dzongkha and English are official languages, but Nepal people speak Nepal and widely use Dzongkha, Sharchop, Lhotsam and English. The currency is Nultrum, abbreviated as NU., Equivalent to Indian rupee. 1 Budanuzam =0.1161 RMB =0.018 US dollars.

Bhutan is also a religious country where all people believe in religion, and every household is provided with shrines. There are three main religions in Bhutan: Buddhism (state religion), Hinduism, and Bhutan's primitive religion. 75% of Bhutan's population believes in Buddhism and primitive religions. The Buddhism that Bhutan believes in is Tibetan Lamaism, which is also the state religion of Bhutan. It is mainly the Zhuba Kagyu faction. Each village or village has at least one temple. There are more than 2000 ancient Buddhist temples and more than 1000 stupas across the country.

The earliest temple in Bhutan was built in 637. Bhutan Buddhism believes in a branch of Xizang Lamaism, namely the Kagyu Lamaism. 25% of Bhutan's people also believe in Hinduism. It is mainly distributed in the south, with Shiva Sect, Vishnu Sect and Skinkism Sect. Bhutan also has Bon religion, but most of it has been absorbed by the Red religion.

The traditional dress of Bhutanese men is a semi-long coat with a slanting front, called "Gho", with a cloth belt tied around the waist and shorts can be worn in summer. Clothing materials are generally cotton, and high-grade ones are wool. Wear long boots or leather shoes and stockings under your feet. Women wear tight gowns, mostly black, called Kira or Kera.

According to local people, the fat sleeves can double as pockets. If you tuck things into the sleeves and hold the sleeves with your hands, the things inside will not fall out. The man's clothes have neither buttons nor pockets. He only relies on a wide belt to tighten the clothes, thus forming an "open mind" for the Bhutanese man, and what cannot fit in his sleeves can be put in his arms. Adults pile up all the "bits and pieces" they carry in their arms. Students do not need to read bags to go to school. All stationery and books are carried in their arms, and their clothes are bulging.

On formal occasions, both men and women in Bhutan wear shawls, but the color and style of shawls are strictly different depending on their status: the king and the chief abbot of the monastery (Kampo) are yellow; the government ministers and the four major masters of the central monastery are orange; the royal advisory council and court representatives are blue without ears; government officials are red without ears; ordinary citizens are white with ears on both ends.

the

is in Bhutan. Whether it is on the roadside of the mountains or in front of the roof, you can see five-colored flags fluttering in the wind everywhere. The scene is magnificent, with a bit of mystery and weirdness in its simplicity. Locals say that the people believe in Tibetan Buddhism, and these colorful flags are actually prayer flags printed with scriptures.

Moreover, in the past, this kind of prayer flag, which was three feet long and one foot wide, was printed with the six-character motto of "Weng, Ma, Ni, Ba, Mi, Moo" and patterns such as dragon and tiger. The edges of the flag were blue, white, red, green and yellow, symbolizing blue sky, white clouds, flame, green water and land, and representing the "five major elements" of the universe-earth, water, fire, wind and air.

For convenience, local people simply made most of the prayer flags into colorful flags without printing patterns or words. Every time when celebrating birthdays, festivals or even moving to new homes, the first thing people do is hang prayer flags to pray for the protection of the gods. Interestingly, Bhutanese often stuff scriptures into wooden barrels and let them float along the water. In the eyes of local people, the movement of wooden barrels due to the current is also a way for them to recite scriptures to God.

In 1953, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck announced the abolition of polyandry (several brothers in a family married one wife. Often the eldest brother marries, and the other brothers no longer marry others), and restrictions are imposed on polygamy. It is stipulated that a man can only have a maximum of three wives, and that he must obtain the consent of the first wife before marrying a new wife, otherwise he cannot marry again. After marriage, the woman can live in the man's house, changing the past habit of marrying into the woman's house.

In 1980, the Royal Government of Bhutan also enacted the Marriage Act, which proclaimed monogamy, abolished polyandry and polygamy, and prohibited child marriage. Due to historical reasons, Bhutan has not yet eradicated this phenomenon. Many rich people still marry more than two wives. Polyandry still exists in northern Bhutan.

The legal age for marriage set by the government is 21 for men and 16 for women. Marriage between a man and a woman in Bhutan is usually arranged by their parents. However, young people in Bhutan like to make their own decisions. When southern Nepal people get married, the woman has to provide a dowry. Bhutanese men and women must register with the court before marriage and pay a certain registration fee. Otherwise, they will not be protected by the law after marriage.

If a married woman elopes with another man, the man will have to compensate her husband for her wife's living expenses and other expenses during the marriage. Divorce is also allowed among ethnic Nepal in the south, but it is not common. The government encourages people to marry in civil society, Bhutan implements intra-ethnic marriage, encourages Bhutanese to marry Bhutanese, and rewards them. Married people can apply for a loan of Nu 1,000 to Nu 2,500 from the Bank of Bhutan. When getting married, monks are generally asked to recite the Blessing Sutra, but this ceremony is mostly held after the two people actually live together.

Bhutanese government strives to maintain domestic culture and traditions, so it is illegal for tourists to purchase religious relics and antiques that are not approved. If you are interested in the above items, you can buy them at a designated store. The Bhutanese people are very friendly to foreign tourists, especially children. They are innocent and lovely, but remember not to give money, candies, etc. to children, and do not give medicines to villagers in need. These behaviors may cause long-term harm to the Bhutanese people.

On December 17, 2004, the Bhutanese government officially announced a national smoking ban, which was the world's first comprehensive smoking ban. Bhutan has banned the sale of cigarettes nationwide, and residents are not allowed to smoke in public places or in any outdoor location. Local stores are not allowed to sell any tobacco products. Violators will be fined more than $225 each time. Violators who violate multiple times may have their business licenses revoked. Residents who cannot quit smoking can import them themselves and pay 100% import tax. According to government estimates, only about 1% of the country's population smokes.

The living habits of Bhutanese people are very similar to those of China. They also eat dumplings. However, Bhutanese food is even more spicy than China's Sichuan cuisine. Bhutanese regard peppers as a vegetable, not a seasoning. The roofs of every house are covered with red peppers. In daily life, Bhutanese people not only add a lot of dried peppers to any dish they eat, but also like to mix unchopped raw peppers on cold and eat them directly as salad.

Bhutanese also have a tradition that before eating, drinking, or drinking tea, they need to throw a little food, tea and wine into the air to support the three treasures of the Guru; Bhutanese in the central and eastern regions prefer to drink low-alcohol alcohol. The legal drinking age in the country is over 18 years old. Alcohol is served in bars except Tuesday (Prohibition Day). When entertaining guests, first serve tea or wine and have a conversation. There is generally no talk during the meal, and the guests leave immediately after the meal and no longer stay. According to religious custom, lamas avoid alcohol and tobacco, but can eat meat. Many Bhutanese carry betel nuts with them, and sharing betel nuts with others is a gesture of friendship.

Bhutanese also have many taboos: for example, you cannot eat meat on the day of killing a pig; if your family goes far away, you cannot sweep the floor that day. If your family member is sick, you must plant branches at the door and prohibit outsiders from entering the house; if a person dies in the house, the family members of the deceased cannot sing and dance, kill chickens and pigs, hunt, or get married for a year.

In addition, Bhutanese hunters believe that the horns of wild animals should not be thrown into the mountains or given to others. They should be hung on the stove wall and no one should touch them. Hunters 'hunting tools are not allowed to be lent to outsiders. Bhutanese believe that the head is the most sacred part of the human body, so please do not touch the head of Bhutanese. Bhutanese people believe that feet are the lowest, so please do not extend your feet in front of others, let alone cross your legs.

Bhutanese also believe in the reincarnation of life and death, spending huge sums of money on funerals and holding multiple rituals so that the deceased can have a better afterlife. Rituals were held on the 7th, 14th, 21st and 49th days after the death of the deceased, and the astrologer selected an auspicious day to cremate the body. Three years after the deceased passed away, prayer flags are erected and ceremonies are held in the name of the deceased every year on the anniversary of his death. Relatives and relatives of the deceased brought wine, rice or other items to attend the ceremony.