Dance bars and mobile phones: changing face of Bhutan

Dance bars and mobile phones: changing face of Bhutan

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For decades Bhutan had no television, no traffic lights and a culture that had barely changed in centuries.

Today, bars dot the capital, Thimphu, set in mist-covered mountains, teenagers crowd internet cafes to play violent video games, and men smoke and gamble in snooker halls.

. Thimphu, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

There are still no traffic lights after residents protested against the installation of one, but otherwise the once-isolated Buddhist country tucked between India and China is changing, and bringing the modern world's problems in its wake.

. Thimphu, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Inside a gaudily lit dance club, guests watch a 38-year-old woman swaying to the songs they choose, usually traditional folk music but sometimes a Bollywood number or two.

Lhaden, a divorced mother-of-two, dances until midnight, and like thousands of her compatriots, is struggling to make ends meet.

. Thimphu, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

"I'm not happy or sad about things, I have no other choice," said Lhaden, who only has one name.

Bhutan measures its national wealth by a Gross National Happiness index aiming to build a contented, fulfilled society. But Lhaden, who earns $125 a month, is counting the pennies.

"I live in such a small flat so I can afford food and clothes."

. Thimphu, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Signs of change are everywhere, pulling the country of snow-capped, jagged mountains, forests, rivers and clean air into the modern world.

Smoke billows from construction sites across the country and a giant bronze-and-gold Buddha statue that commands the entry to the Thimphu valley now shares space with modern telecom towers.

. Thimphu, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

On the streets and even in the countryside, jeans have become as commonplace as the traditional Bhutanese knee-length gho robes for men and the ankle-length kira dresses that women wear.

. Punakha, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Bhutan's $2.2 billion economy remains predominantly agricultural, but mobile phones and TV sets are everywhere, even in the Phobjikha Valley, a tourist haven about seven hours' drive from Thimphu and in winter, home to Bhutan's famed black-necked cranes.

. Phobjika, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

"Children are spending more time on their mobile phones and not studying," said Ap Daw (right), 43, a farmer who also bemoans the rising mounds of trash by the road.

. Phobjika, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Next to his house, a squad of Buddhist monks has discarded their crimson robes to play football, in Manchester United and Chelsea jerseys.

. Phobjika, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Daw's 13-year-old son, Sonam Tshering, a football fan himself, has big dreams too.

"I would love to become a science teacher and watch Cristiano Ronaldo play for Real Madrid," said Sonam as he helped feed the family cattle.

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Slideshow

A woman carries her daughter near Punakha.
. Punakha, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

A woman carries her daughter near Punakha.

Zeko, 73, said: "I'm happy to have a mobile phone so I can talk to my relatives and children any time I want."
. Punakha, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Zeko, 73, said: "I'm happy to have a mobile phone so I can talk to my relatives and children any time I want."

A tourist bus makes its way along the Phobjika valley.
. Phobjika, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

A tourist bus makes its way along the Phobjika valley.

A stream runs through the Phobjika valley.
. Phobjika, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

A stream runs through the Phobjika valley.

Men work at the Punatsangchu hydroelectric power project near the town of Wangdue Phodrang.
. Wangdue, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Men work at the Punatsangchu hydroelectric power project near the town of Wangdue Phodrang.

Smoke billows from machinery at a road construction site near the town of Punakha.
. Punakha, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Smoke billows from machinery at a road construction site near the town of Punakha.

A man walks past a housing construction site in the capital city of Thimphu.
. Thimphu, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

A man walks past a housing construction site in the capital city of Thimphu.

Youths sit outside a restaurant.
. Thimphu, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Youths sit outside a restaurant.

Youths gather in an internet gaming centre.
. Thimphu, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Youths gather in an internet gaming centre.

A youth drinks whiskey at a bar.
. Thimphu, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

A youth drinks whiskey at a bar.

A man sings in a Karaoke bar beside a portrait of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
. Thimphu, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

A man sings in a Karaoke bar beside a portrait of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

Women share a joke in a Karaoke bar.
. Thimphu, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Women share a joke in a Karaoke bar.

A masked dancer performs on the mountains.
. Thimphu, BHUTAN. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

A masked dancer performs on the mountains.