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| Bhutan’s Annual Royal Highland Festival |
The Royal Highland Festival, celebrates celebrate and protect Bhutan’s highland cultures.
It is held in Laya in the district of Gasa, one of Bhutan’s most northern settlements 3,800m above sea level.
It is held in Laya in the district of Gasa, one of Bhutan’s most northern settlements 3,800m above sea level.
The festival is held to celebrate, promote and preserve the way of life and culture of the Layap nomadic highland people.
Located in the far northwest of Bhutan, Gasa has some of the country's highest mountain peaks, with over a hundred glacial lakes at the foot of these mountains, supplying some of Bhutan's rivers, including the Phochu and Mochu.
During the festival, the Layap people will showcase their time-honoured traditions and stunning attire through cultural programs.
There are vibrant parades, thrilling games, races and friendly competitions featuring yaks, horses and mastiffs, all adorned with intricately designed accessories.
Journeying to the festival is an adventure in itself , needing a seven-hour drive from Thimphu to the Tongshida base camp, followed by a 4-hour hike to Laya. Bhutan, a Buddhist kingdom on the Himalayas’ eastern edge, is known for its monasteries, fortresses (or dzongs) and dramatic landscapes that range from subtropical plains to steep mountains and valleys.
In the High Himalayas, peaks such as Jomolhari are popular trekking destinations. Paro Taktsang monastery (also known as Tiger’s Nest) clings to cliffs above the forested Paro Valley.
* Isabella Sheekey at is@pc.agency
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