[ti:In Bhutan, Gross National Happiness More Important] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Prayer flags fly high in the wind across steep valleys and roads in the Kingdom of Bhutan. [00:09.00]Many visitors remember seeing Bhutan's Buddhist religious centers [00:13.92]and stately looking defenses called Dzongs. [00:18.96]Others might recall large water-powered prayer wheels spinning near waterfalls [00:25.52]or farmers watching over long-haired yaks in the countryside. [00:31.80]Bhutan is the last remaining Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas. [00:37.92]The country lies between India and China, [00:42.16]but it has never been captured or colonized. [00:46.92]Bhutan still has much of its ancient culture. [00:51.00]But it is attempting to become more modern [00:54.20]without sacrificing its independence, culture or natural environment. [01:01.28]Bhutan advertises itself as an "exclusive" place to visit [01:06.24]through "high value, low impact" tourism. [01:11.20]Foreign visitors usually travel there by way of India or other nearby countries. [01:19.52]Tourists can only visit Bhutan by signing up with licensed tour operators. [01:27.28]The cost is between $200 and $250 a day, depending on the time of year. [01:35.24]The government uses some of that money [01:38.37]to pay for health care, schools and public services. [01:44.00]In the 1970s, the fourth king of Bhutan [01:47.88]proposed an unusual method for measuring the country's success. [01:53.20]Unlike traditional measures, like the gross domestic product, [01:57.96]the king suggested what he called gross national happiness. [02:03.28]Gross national happiness means efforts in support of sustainable development, [02:09.04]education and health, and valuing societal good over economic growth. [02:16.52]The smoking of cigarettes is banned in the kingdom. [02:21.44]In addition, Bhutan is the world's only carbon-negative country. [02:27.88]That means it produces less carbon than its forests and other plants take in. [02:35.20]In 2016, the fifth and current king created the Laya Royal Highlander Festival, [02:43.24]an event designed to bring tourists. [02:47.36]The celebration takes place in October. [02:51.60]It includes events like yak judging, wrestling competitions, [02:57.04]pony races and native dancing. [03:01.56]Tourists attending the highland festival have to travel a total of 58 kilometers, [03:08.48]from a height of 1,830 meters to more than 3,800 meters above sea level. [03:16.60]Many paths along the way are rocky. [03:20.56]Tour groups use donkeys to carry fuel, tents and other supplies. [03:28.16]Rain can make those trails dangerous for both the animals and festival goers. [03:35.20]But the difficult conditions did not stop Bhutan's king from attending the event last October. [03:43.16]He made the trip in only a few hours. [03:47.08]Most tourists, however, complete the trip in two days. [03:53.00]One popular festival event is a race called the nyagay. [03:58.40]Six women wearing yak-wool skirts pull large pieces of wood halfway across a field. [04:07.00]They then drop the wood and place 23 kilogram sacks of grain [04:12.68]on the backs of their male partners. [04:16.56]The women then climb on the men's backs. [04:20.60]The men pick up the wood, then race back to the starting line. [04:26.20]Festival organizers covered a tent with gold [04:29.88]and set up a throne-like chair for the king. [04:34.02]But he spent most of his time greeting people. [04:39.40]Before the start of the pony race, food was served. [04:44.24]Hundreds of villagers and visitors sat cross-legged [04:49.08]as helpers served rice, vegetable curries and hot butter tea. [04:56.04]All of the food was provided by the king. [04:59.61]And everyone seemed very happy. [05:04.40]I'm Jonathan Evans. [05:05.92]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM