Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Wangchuck, Ashi Dori Wangmo, PUBLISHER: Penguin Global, Long regarded as <strong>thestrong> Forbidden Land, Bhutan--or Druk Yul, <strong>thestrong> Land <strong>ofstrong> <strong>thestrong> Thunder Dragon--was virtually closed to <strong>thestrong> outside world until <strong>thestrong> s. Even today, little is known about this remote Himalayan Buddhist kingdom nestled between two giant neighbours, India and China. <strong>Ofstrong>ten described as <strong>thestrong> Last Shangri La, Bhutan is still a country <strong>ofstrong> pristine forests, alpine valleys and glacial lakes, rich in rare flora and fauna such as <strong>thestrong> blue poppy, <strong>thestrong> golden langur and <strong>thestrong> red panda. As spectacular as its natural beauty are <strong>thestrong> architecture <strong>ofstrong> its towering dzongs (fortresses) and <strong>thestrong> art <strong>treasuresstrong> that fill its monasteries and temples. Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck's portrait <strong>ofstrong> her country is a captivating blend <strong>ofstrong> personal memoir, history, folklore and travelogue. It provides unique and intimate insights into Bhutanese culture and society, with its vivid glimpses <strong>ofstrong> life in Bhutan's villages and hamlets, monasteries and palaces. Her engaging account <strong>ofstrong> her childhood, growing up in a village in western Bhutan and <strong>thestrong> changes she witnessed when <strong>thestrong> country decided to end its isolation also tells a larger story--that <strong>ofstrong> Bhutan's rapid transition from a medieval kingdom to a modern nation within <strong>thestrong> space <strong>ofstrong> a decade. <strong>Thestrong> author shares with us her delight in some <strong>ofstrong> <strong>thestrong> hidden <strong>treasuresstrong> <strong>ofstrong> her country, which she discovered during her journeys on foot to every corner <strong>ofstrong> Bhutan--from highland villages in <strong>thestrong> shadow <strong>ofstrong> <strong>thestrong> great Himalayan peaks to serene monasteries wrea<strong>thestrong>d in myth and legend to <strong>thestrong> rainforests in <strong>thestrong> south and centre <strong>ofstrong> <strong>thestrong> country, which are among <strong>thestrong> world's richest biodiversity hotspots. This book, with its specially commissioned illustrations by young Bhutanese artists, and photographs from <strong>thestrong> author's family album, is essential reading both for those who plan to visit <strong>thestrong> Kingdom <strong>ofstrong> <strong>thestrong> Thunder Dragon and for armchair travellers who yearn to experience <strong>thestrong> magic <strong>ofstrong> Bhutan through <strong>thestrong>ir imaginations.