Tashi Chho Dzong

When we were on a hike we saw the fortress Tashi Chho Dzong and we really wanted to visit it so we were really glad when our guides said we would go there soon

I love the paintings on the pillars. Wonder how long it took them to do it?

Inside was a very big courtyard. Imagine a building with a huge courtyard in the middle, surrounded by the mountains and blue skies. So beautiful..

There are monks' quarters too besides the government offices. I think having them side by side is a great idea.

 These are prayer bells, you can turn them around and pray for peace

It's really beautiful there. I wonder if Bhutanese people can still see the beauty? Or do they just see it as normal?

Farmer's market & Art school Thimpu

We went to the farmer's market in Thimpu

Apparently it was built by the government. The government supports local produce. What struck me about the place was how organized, how clean and how lovely it was to walk around! So unlike our wet markets that seem uncivilized in comparison...Why can't our markets be like this??

Bhutanese people eat a lot of chilli. Our tour guide said they eat chilli as a vegetable instead of a spice haha..

This is yeast!

I love the colors and sights and sounds. So nice! and it didn't stink and it was so clean~~ hahaha i should stop gushing about a market really i sound so aunty..

We went to the art school as well. They had a statue of the four friends (famous folklore story in Bhutan) which you can read about here because I'm too lazy and I'll probably screw up the story anyway

The government built the school for free and students learn here for free too. I couldn't help admiring the Bhutanese government and also how the people also respected the government

Wood carving class - a student with his muses hahaha...

Embroidering class: the students are learning how to make the strips of cloth you see hanging from the ceiling..they can be often found in temples..

Sketching:

Painting:

Look how fine that paintbrush is! Must have taken ages to finish one painting.. They have to sketch it really well too because it's considered a sin to get the proportions of the gods they draw wrongly..Alot of people paint the walls and rafters of their house so it's quite likely these painters will be able to make a living after they graduate..

Like this:

I think it's wonderful how the Bhutanese government also supports the local arts. Wonderful wonderful! All buildings are also Bhutanese style which is one of Bhutan's charms.

more Thimpu

Went to the National Memorial in Thimpu. By the way, check out a fabulous picture of it here. I can't get over how amazing that photo is. Wow.

You must walk around with the stupa on your right 3 times. 

I love the colors in Bhutan. They go so well together and they're all strong vibrant colors. I love how Bhutan's landscape is so naturally beautiful and the people dress up in traditional clothes. Their temples feel simple yet dressed with many colors but not overdressed.

Saw some cultural dances

Apparently those hats they're wearing are made of yak hair

I don't normally like hiking but for views like these, I think it's pretty worth it

Saw these adorable cats too:

Bhutan's national animal is the thakin. Described as having 'a head of a goat but the body of a cow', it's a very extraordinary animal for people who haven't seen it before.

There was a large sign saying things along the lines of 'please do not feed the animals' and 'please do not harrass the animals' but there was a big bunch of people from China making a lot of noise and poking the thakin with grass and plants trying to get the thakin to pay attention to them...it kinda pissed me off...i guess they're lucky thakin are not violent animals...i think they should just ban tourists from China really...although that would be very discriminatory hahahaha im sure not all of them are idiots...but most of the ones i've encountered are sooooooo noisy!!