According to ethnicityology, Thimphu is one of the most unusual capitals in the world. No more than 50 thousand people live in the city. The city is located in a cozy wooded valley of the Thimphu-Chhu River at an altitude of 2500 meters above sea level. Here you will not find modern buildings familiar to us. According to local law, everything, even newly built buildings, must be made in accordance with traditional architecture. On the hill, towering over the capital, stands the main pride of the city – the “Fortress of the Blessed Religion”, built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Previously, this huge and unusual monastery served as a defensive system of the city, and now it is the residence of the king and the palace of the Supreme Lama. Near the monastery is a memorial dedicated to the third king of Bhutan, the father of the current king, as well as the National Library, which includes a huge collection of ancient manuscripts and historical literature. Now this library is considered the best collection of religious and historical manuscripts in the Himalayas. Every weekend in the very center of the capital, on the banks of the river, there is a vast market, where almost all the inhabitants of the city converge and not only to buy or sell goods, but in order to get the necessary information, since this is the main center of the public life of the townspeople. A short distance from the makeshift market is the main stadium of the country – Changlimithang, which is the main venue for traditional archery competitions for Bhutan. Competitions are always accompanied by colorful and unusual rituals, and all its participants perform in national clothes. An incredibly beautiful view of the capital opens from the observation deck of the Phadjoding monastery, which lies 12 km from Thimphu. The city of Paro is the only air gate of the country. Here, seven kilometers from the city, is the country’s only international airport in Bhutan. The city is located on the territory of the fertile Paro Valley, this is the most densely populated place in the country. In this region there are the most beautiful monasteries, as well as many small towns and villages with amazingly beautiful houses. The Pearl of Paro is the ancient monastery “Tiger’s Lair”, lying at an altitude of 900 meters above the cliff. The monastery was founded in the 13th century, on the site of a cave in which one of the monks meditated. Today, this monastery is the main Buddhist shrine of Bhutan. The monastery complex consists of several temples, monastic huts, and several small monasteries, “attached” to the slopes of the mountains. The largest religious center of the country and the place from which the dynasty of monks ruled the country for many years is the city of Trongsa. On the territory of this unusual city is the largest fortress in Bhutan. Near the city stretches the valley of the river Mandge-Chhu along which a huge number of dzongs lined up, forming a whole network around the city. The center of the city is Trongs Dzong, the ancestral home of the royal family. The fortress is a whole impregnable city, divided into many separate tiers, with its own streets and buildings. This complex of buildings is a prime example of traditional Bhutanese architecture. The fortress is a whole impregnable city, divided into many separate tiers, with its own streets and buildings. This complex of buildings is a prime example of traditional Bhutanese architecture. The fortress is a whole impregnable city, divided into many separate tiers, with its own streets and buildings. This complex of buildings is a prime example of traditional Bhutanese architecture.

National cuisine of Bhutan

Bhutanese cuisine is very similar to the national cuisines of neighboring countries. As there, the main dish in the country is rice, cooked in a wide variety of combinations with vegetables and sauces. Despite the fact that various varieties of white rice are imported into the country, the people of Bhutan themselves prefer rice grown in their own country. This rice has a reddish color. Also a characteristic feature of the local cuisine is the widespread use of chili peppers, which are added to almost all dishes, in combination with beans, sauces and herbs. Bhutanese love cheese, made in a variety of forms, ranging from the usual cow’s milk cheese to the rather specific yak milk cheese, which is dried, thereby allowing it to keep for several months. Instead of bread, cakes made from rice or corn flour are served at the table. Meat is not very common in the country, as religion does not allow killing animals. However, they get out of this situation by eating either the meat of dead animals or meat imported into the country. Of the meat dishes, the most popular are “momos” resembling dumplings, as well as pork stew with beans. Of the drinks, the most popular are a kind of susa butter tea and regular green and black tea.