CULTURAL HERITAGE: Valuing Culture for Our Well Being
Ours is a nation of diverse people in culture, including language, ethnic background, religion and outlook, and is a nation vibrant because of it. We value this diversity of people as our nation’s wealth that unifies our distinct identity as Bhutanese.
Our diverse and rich cultural heritage, including traditional values and institutions, is deeply ingrained in the Bhutanese way of life and is inseparable from our well being. It defines who and what we are. And it is the very backbone of the security of Nation Bhutan.
Ours is a vibrant and evolving culture that must be encouraged to develop further. It must be safeguarded at the same time, from erosion in a rapidly globalizing world. And, a rapidly growing economy must work so much more consciously to cherish and safeguard the heritage of the people. As both cultural heritage and the economy develop over time, striking a wholesome balance that benefits both must be the strategic choice of the government as well as of the private sector.
Our Cultural Agenda:
- Enhance the central role of cultural heritage, including traditional values, institutions, languages, music, arts and religion to enrich our well being and promote nation building;
- Preserve, protect and promote the cultural heritage of our country including dzongs, lhakhangs, goendeys, ten-sum and nyes;
- Promote and support rabdeys, gomdeys, shedras, rigneys, drubda, patshalas and anim dratshangs in our country;
- Support existing cultural centres and institutes including zorig chusum, museums and libraries and help establish relevant new ones particularly outside Thimphu;
- Promote our traditional arts and crafts at fairs and exhibitions, both at home and abroad and support cultural exchange programmes with other countries;
- Develop national expertise on heritage conservation, and support restoration of nationally significant cultural heritage sites;
- Support the Bhutan Cultural Trust Fund, civil society organisations engaged in heritage preservation and advancement, and private sector business that takes on harmony with heritage in their business strategy;
- Promote community-based cultural tourism and cultural industries, as well as festivals and heritage sites that encourage communities to celebrate their heritage;
- Document, publish and promote research on indigenous knowledge and cultural and folklore heritage, particularly our oral tradition that may be in danger of dying out;
- Enhance access to cultural concepts and values for the younger generation through education and media
- Promote new construction to reflect traditional architectural design more meaningfully and substantively, without stifling creativity and vitality in design
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