Report on 7th Seminar in the Bhutan Seminar Series 2021

2022年5月3日更新

This time we watched a documentary about a journey from Trashigang, a major town in eastern Bhutan, through Khotokha, Gasa, and Paro (the Taktsang Monastery) to Punakha (the Chimi Lhakhang) and the capital of Thimphu.

Image 1: Sabzi Bazaar explanation

The documentary focused strongly on Tibetan Buddhist temples and monasteries, one of which was Trashigang Dzong. Serving as both an administrative center and a monastery, it sat in an imposing position high above the surrounding houses. The colorful and elaborate decorations executed throughout the structure are typical of Bhutanese buildings and, together with the surrounding landscape, made the Trashigang Dzong look even more mystical. Monks also appear in the documentary, revealing how deeply embedded Buddhism is in the hearts of the Bhutanese people.

In Khotokha, a cable car is used to transport goods and people down to another region. We watched the wooden cable car advance slowly through a magnificent natural landscape. The venerable old cable car did not look entirely safe, but it is treasured by locals as an important form of transport. There are no stations as such on the way down, with the car simply stopping where passengers want to get off, an approach which seems typical of the easygoing Bhutanese nature.

Image 2: Commentary by Mr. Ishiuchi

Our commentator Yoshiki Ishiuchi began by discussing the Tshechu religious festival celebrating Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), who is said to have brought Tibetan Buddhism to Bhutan, as well as multilingualism in Bhutanese society.

He used materials and photos that he himself took when he was in Bhutan to provide a vivid picture of the Tshechu festival. The festival is held annually around Bhutan, but the severe shortage of dancers out in the countryside means that help is often sought from residents of the more heavily populated cities. This was an unexpected reminder of the issue of depopulation in Bhutan’s provincial cities.

In relation to Bhutan’s multilingualism, Mr. Ishiuchi also explained that society is basically run on the assumption that people will be able to speak English, Dzongkha, and Tshangla. The different regions of Bhutan, however, all have their own languages, evidence of how multilingual Bhutan really is.

Mr. Ishiuchi was again deluged with many questions and comments, replying in detail to each. In particular, it seems that various historical factors are at play in gender perceptions in Bhutan, an insight that provoked an extremely interesting discussion.

(Airi Yamamoto, first-year student, Department of Languages and Culture,
Faculty of Letters and Education)