The Bhutanese Leading the way.
This year’s edition of the Royal Highland Festival was all the more special with the presence of Their Majesties The King and Gyaltsuen, and Their Royal Highnesses Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel, Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck, and Gyalsem Sonam Yangden Wangchuck.
The Royal Highland Festival was initiated in 2016 upon Royal Command, to promote highland culture, support livelihoods of the highland peoples. His Majesty has graced the festival each year, and in the more recent years accompanied by His Royal Highness Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel.
The two-day festival was attended by the Prime Minister and senior officials, local leaders, the people of Laya and other highland communities, and a mix of local and international visitors.
Rows of yak-hair tents framed the festival grounds at Langothang, where the programme featured traditional song and dance, games, animal shows, and the annual Laya Run — a highly competitive 25K race to the venue. Visitors, who stay in homestays in the picturesque village of Laya for the duration of the festival, sampled highland food and browsed local products. His Majesty The King granted Royal Tokha.
The Royal Highland Festival has grown steadily in popularity since its inception, with an increasing number of domestic tourists, especially young visitors, attending alongside international tourists.
