Sustainable Happiness, Bhutan Development Project
Stories from Bhutan’s Site Visits (4)
Day 5: Visits to Pangkhar and Bardo Gewog
On February 7, 2024, the JTS team continued its surveys of Zhemgang Dzongkhag, following up on yesterday’s visit. They traveled far from the Panbang area to survey the Mamong Chiwog in Pankar Gewog and Langdorbi Chiwog in Bardo Gewog.
On the way to Mamong Chiwog, they decided to revisit a land they didn’t get a good look at the day before. After about 30 minutes, they reached the land seen on the map yesterday. With a river nearby, the large, flat crescent-shaped loess land looked fertile, even from a distance. The land seemed suitable for agricultural use.
△ The view of the land surveyed on the way to Mamong Chiwog
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim spoke to Norbu Jamtsho, a civil servant affiliated with Zhemgang Dzongkhag
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in conversation with a civil servant affiliated with Zhemgang Dzongkhag
“It would be good to check the condition of that land. If it’s difficult to develop it into farmland because it’s a protected area, it would be better to plant trees and establish vegetation rather than leave it as unused wasteland.”
The JTS team then drove for about an hour and a half, arriving at Mamong Chiwog in Phangkhar Gewog at 10:10 AM. The residents of Mamong Chiwog were waiting for the JTS team. After greeting the residents, they went together into the temple.
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim exchanging greetings with residents
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim began a conversation with approximately 20 residents.
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim conversing with the villagers
“Do all the residents here farm for a living?”
“Yes.”
“What crops do you mainly grow?”
“We mainly grow oranges, cardamom, and ginger. We also grow a small amount of lychee.”
“Which crop is the most profitable?”
“Oranges are the best.”
The villagers immediately brought out a bunch of oranges.
“The oranges from Chag-Ngar-Zam Chiwog we saw yesterday were large and juicy, but the oranges here are smaller and harder.”
“Yes, it might be due to differences in soil or temperature.”
“Do you have farming tools at home? What do you use for farming?”
“We have farming tools. Not many, but we have a few. We use oxen for plowing the fields.”
“Do you have tools like hammers or screwdrivers for repairing your homes?”
“No, we don’t. Carpenters have those tools.”
“Then what do you do if something breaks or needs repair?”
“We call someone who knows how to fix it or hire a person to help.”
“Do the women have knives and other tools for cooking?”
“Yes.”
Nobu, who was with them, added more explanation.
“In the countryside, we use one large knife for all cooking tasks without dividing the tools by purpose.”
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim asked another question.
“What difficulties do you face when farming?”
“It’s discouraging and frustrating because animals from the nearby national park come down and eat all our crops. After we have grown our crops, the animals always eat them. That’s why many people are switching to cardamom, which the animals don’t eat. It’s difficult to deal with the animals because we get punished if we kill them. We’ve tried all sorts of methods, but nothing has worked. We’re considering covering the ground with cement and putting up barbed wire.”
“I would like to ask the women a question. What do you lack in your daily life?”
When the women didn’t respond, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim asked again.
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim talking with village residents
“Please share if there is something you wish you had, something that would make you happy. Even if it’s something like ‘I wish my husband wouldn’t drink,’ that’s okay.”
The women smiled enigmatically at the unusual question. Ven. Pomnyun Sunim then asked each woman individually.
“I would like my house to be improved while I’m still alive.”
“I was not accepted into the state-supported university. I can’t afford a private university. I want to go to college.”
“I’m raising four children without a husband. The youngest is three years old. I need basic necessities.”
“I wish to have better kitchen tools and an improved home.”
△ Village residents listening to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim
After finishing the conversation with the villagers, the JTS team visited two or three nearby households. They carefully observed whether there were blankets in the rooms, how the hearths in the kitchens were constructed and used, and the extent of the kitchen tools available in each household.
△ The view of the surveyed house
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the JTS survey team touring the interior of a household
“Is there anyone who can show us some of the farming tools or equipment?”
One of the villagers brought out some farming tools to show. They had a shovel, a pickaxe, and a hammer, among other tools. The handle of the shovel was broken. Since there was only one available, they continued to use it despite its damage.
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim inspecting agricultural tools
Two hours had passed while talking with the villagers and looking around their homes. As Ven. Pomnyun Sunim was leaving, he waved and said goodbye to the villagers.
“Let’s meet again soon.”
The JTS team was in a hurry to reach their next destination, but the vehicle’s speed was limited by the terrain. After driving for a long time into the deep mountains, they saw villagers in Langdorbi Chiwog gathered in the distance, waiting for the team to arrive.
△ The residents of Langdorbi Chiwog visible from afar, waiting for the survey team
The JTS team arrived at Langdorbi Chiwog in Bardo Gewog just after 1 PM. Ven. Pomnyun Sunim sat in an outdoor tent prepared by the villagers and began the conversation.
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim engaging in conversation with the villagers
“I came here to hear about the things you need the most in your daily lives. Is there anyone who would like to share?”
The villagers had various requests.
△ The villagers sharing laughter while conversing with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim
“We have a water shortage. We want to develop a new water source.”
“It’s very difficult to grow crops because of the wild animals.”
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim spoke with the people of Langdorbi Chiwog for about an hour and then visited some homes in the village.
“This time, please show me one of the poorest households and one of the wealthiest households in the village.”
After visiting these homes with the guidance of the villagers, the JTS team headed back to the Zhemgang Dzongkhag town. It took six hours to reach the town.
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the JTS survey team moving to tour a household.
△ The interior view of a low-income household in the village
△ The interior view of a high-income household in the village
△ The exterior view of the houses scattered in the village
At 8 PM, when they arrived in the town, Kesang Jigme, who was in charge of Zhemgang Dzongkhag, was there to greet them. Kesang guided the team to Trong Heritage Village. This place, with its old Bhutanese houses that appeared to be several hundred years old, looked like a movie set Kesang Jigme said,
△ The JTS survey team touring the traditional space of the Heritage Village
“We are preparing to develop this area into a tourist site.”
“In Korea, we got rid of the old living spaces. However, young people prefer the alleys where people actually lived. Preserving and revitalizing these traditional living spaces is a good thing.”
“Yes, even now, young travelers often visit. The problem is that they just come for a walk and leave, so there is nothing that benefits the residents living here.”
△ Kesang, who was in charge of Zhemgang Dzongkhag, engaging in conversation
“You can solve that by creating a café or restaurant on the ground floor of these houses. Are there other areas in Bhutan where old buildings have been preserved like this?”
“There are a few other places, but this is the only one designated as a cultural heritage site.”
△ Exterior view of the Heritage Village
The JTS team went to Zhemgang Dzongkhag and shared their impressions of today’s surveys.
△ The JTS survey team and officials from Zhemgang Dzongkhag sharing their impressions
The JTS team expressed their gratitude for the kind guidance provided by the local officials in each area. They were deeply impressed by the love and care that the king and government of Bhutan have for their people. They particularly noted the well-maintained roads, even in remote mountain areas, and the passionate activities of young local officials.
The team then shared their observations on the schools and health centers they visited, traditional culture, and production facilities. They discussed the importance of water issues, the need for sustainable agricultural irrigation facilities, housing improvements, and the difficulties of protecting crops. They also shared ideas for enhancing living conditions and methods for generating income,
Kesang expressed his gratitude for the JTS team’s opinions and suggestions, acknowledging the practical challenges such as geographical characteristics, wildlife issues, and increasing urban migration. He explained that the government has a five-year development plan focusing on agriculture and progress in livestock farming, promoting self-employment, and developing human resources. After listening to Kesang, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim said,
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the leaders of Zhemgang Dzongkhag engaging in conversation
“In this era of climate crisis, the most important issue is how people can live sustainably. From this perspective, buying feed for livestock may benefit the farmers, but is not a good method overall.
Large-scale livestock farming negatively impacts the climate crisis. Therefore, It is necessary to explore methods of decentralizing large-scale livestock farming through the utilization of agricultural by-products. For example, instead of having young people run poultry farms, it would be more environmentally friendly for each household to raise 10 chickens and collect eggs for distribution. This way, we can avoid the situation where we need to supply feed for all the chickens.
Secondly, cultivating tea or coffee may offer commercial benefits, but it may not be the best approach for achieving food self-sufficiency. While it’s suitable for land not currently used for agriculture, converting existing farmland from food crops to tea or coffee solely for profit could reduce overall food production. Therefore, we should adopt a more cautious approach that considers factors beyond profitability alone.
It would be beneficial for Bhutan to embody the concept of ‘living sustainably.’ Given that trees naturally thrive in the mountains, cultivating fruit trees can help preserve forests, generate income, and have a relatively minimal environmental impact.
Improving living conditions is essential. Issues like the water supply must be addressed, even if it is costly. Moreover, maintaining a living environment requires income. However, altering production facilities for income should be carefully considered based on the principle of ‘sustainable living.’
To emphasize again, the difficult lives of the residents need to be improved. However, the methods of improvement must be sustainable and consider the climate environment. We will not participate in improvements or developments that go against the principles of sustainable development. We want to create an environment where Bhutan’s best qualities can shine.”
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim asked Nobu, the official who had accompanied them in Zhemgang, for his opinion.
“Please feel free to share if you have anything more to say.”
“I don’t have anything specific to add, but I consider myself very fortunate to have participated in this project. I hope I can contribute further to this project as well.”
Listening to the impressions of the Bhutanese officials, the long meeting came to an end. Tomorrow, the team will return to Thimphu to meet with the Prime Minister and the Queen Mother. They will hold a meeting with the Royal Cabinet to discuss sustainable development projects based on their findings from the surveys.