The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Around 1,400 international guests from countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, China, Taiwan, France, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States attended the 108 Jangchub Chortens event in Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC).
Many of the guests, particularly devotees from Southeast Asia, traveled to Gelephu to take part in the religious gathering, receive blessings and witness the raising and consecration of the 108 Jangchub Chortens.
For many visitors, the occasion was more than a religious ceremony. It was a chance to experience Bhutan’s spiritual traditions, witness the collective devotion of thousands of people and be part of an auspicious gathering.
Laurie, a guest from Canada, described her return to Gelephu as exciting, particularly after seeing the city’s transformation over the past year.
She said she was in GMC last year and helped out with some of the clearing activities that were going on.
“It’s so exciting to be back this year and see so many people coming to take part in the 108 Jangchub Chortens. There’s a lot of energy. I’ve been here since Sunday, and every day more and more people have been arriving. The Bhutanese people are always lovely and welcoming, and it’s so wonderful to see everybody coming together for such a momentous occasion,” she said.
Eric Watson, from Los Angeles, said being invited to such an auspicious occasion was a great honor, especially because visiting Bhutan had been a lifelong wish.
“I’m really happy to be in Bhutan. I’ve always wanted to come here my whole life,” he said. “To receive an invitation to attend such an auspicious and beautiful event is a real honour. I can also come and offer a zhapto. I would like to contribute something to this beautiful event, which carries a really beautiful message to the world.”
Watson said he was grateful to be among so many wonderful people.
“Everybody in Bhutan has been so kind to me, and I wish the whole world were like this,” he said.
Ugyen Dorji, a visitor from France, said watching His Majesty’s vision of the 108 Jangchub Chortens take shape was an exciting experience, particularly because the event coincided with the auspicious occasion of Lhabab Düchen.
Chang Hio Lou, a wellness consultant, mindfulness coach and Dharma practitioner from Macau, China, said her journey to Gelephu was about more than crossing geographical borders. Her travels and experiences have given her roots in many places.
For her, the visit was another step in her inner pilgrimage.
“Visiting Gelephu has given me the opportunity to understand the concept and development of the Mindful City while witnessing the sacred raising of the 108 stupas,” she said.
“I’ve long felt a calling towards places where heart, Dharma and life practice meet. Project 108 feels like a living mandala. The number 108 is sacred and reminds us to return again and again to presence, compassion and awakening,” she said, further adding, “I came not just to join an event, but to sit, breathe and remember what it means to walk the path together with many hearts.”
She said she learned about the event through spiritual circles and friends. This is her sixth visit to Bhutan.
She described the collective devotion of thousands of people as a profound spiritual experience.
“It is a quiet, collective pulse. Thousands of hearts turn together towards merit, prayer and remembrance. Even in simple moments, walking, circumambulating and pausing to breathe, I feel the field of kindness holding everyone. It is meditation made visible, a whole land breathing as one,” she said.
“It was also really touching to see so much effort put into making this happen, led by the kindness of the King,” she added.
Chang said Bhutan’s spiritual traditions are not confined to temples but are reflected in the everyday lives of its people.
She said, “In Bhutan, Dharma is not locked inside temples alone; it is woven into ordinary life. People carry reverence naturally in how they greet, circumambulate, make offerings and hold space for blessings. It is not a show of spirituality, but a way of being. It also shows that sacredness does not need to be extraordinary to be real.”
She plans to stay in Gelephu for a week. For those who have yet to experience Project 108, she said Gelephu offers a reminder that spiritual awakening is not an individual journey alone but something that can be nurtured collectively.
She intends to return to Bhutan every year and said the country would be an ideal destination for the wellness retreats she organizes. On a personal level, she said, Bhutan is more than a place to visit once.
“Bhutan does not feel like a destination I simply check off. It is a living spiritual companion that calls me back when my heart is ready to listen again,” she said.
She described the gathering as deeply grounding and heart-opening. Circumambulating the chortens alongside fellow practitioners gave her a powerful sense of collective compassion, wisdom and aspiration, she said.
“It is not merely an event, but a tangible expression of bodhicitta, the wish for all beings to awaken. Every chorten stands as a quiet promise of peace.”
Her message to Bhutan was one of gratitude for preserving its spiritual traditions and values.
Beyond the religious gathering, Project 108 brought people from different corners of the world together through shared faith, compassion and spiritual connection. It left international visitors with a lasting impression of Bhutan’s spiritual heritage and its vision of a mindful future.
