Bhutan: hidden lands of happiness

BHUTAN: Hidden Lands of Happiness by John Wehrheim, now a revised and updated edition in new, softcover format – beautiful black-and-white portraits of Bhutan unlike any other book with lively texts exploring the lives in Bhutan. Wehrheim guided the reader through the districts of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Gasa, Laya, Lunana, Wangdi, Bumthang and Trongsa, revealing remote hot springs and isolated hermitages and ends in the streets and nightclubs of the country’s capital, Thimphu Town. This book is now a classic – a time capsule of the fast-changing decade in Bhutan.

Tibetan folksongs sometimes sing of beyul—hidden lands that can only be seen by those of pure heart and mind. Tucked into the towering peaks and steeply forested valleys of the Eastern Himalayas, the Bhutanese believe their country to be such a place.

Bhutan: Hidden Lands of Happiness is a geographical and cultural passage from the yak pastures along the Tibetan border to the rice lands in central Bhutan. Guiding the reader through the districts of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Gasa, Laya, Lunana, Wangdi, Bumthang and Trongsa, the book reveals remote hot springs and isolated hermitages and ends in the streets and nightclubs of the country’s capital, Thimphu Town. 108 black and white images narrated with stories, journal entries, folklore, dharma teachings and oral history create a portal across centuries. Clear, skillfully composed and rich in depth and detail, these flawless images illustrate an intimate tale of Bhutan told by an artist who is deeply familiar with his subject.