This year, the 12th edition of Drukyul’s Literature Festival by Bhutan Echoes will be held from 4th to 6th August 2023 in the capital Thimphu. The annual literature festival, organised independently by Bhutan Echoes, a literature and arts initiative, aims to celebrate works of literature and arts by Bhutanese and international authors, thinkers, artists and influencers, and promote Bhutanese literature, culture and arts to the world. The theme of this year’s festival is ‘Reconnecting and Reviving’, an apt concept at a time when we long to find our way in a world that has changed so much, with more than 35 in-person sessions and programs that celebrate the diverse fields of literature, arts and culture. Visitors will get wonderful opportunities to experience evocative sights and sounds, stunning art exhibitions, music performances, interactive workshops, open mic nights, poetry readings, film screenings and more. The Drukyul’s Literature Festival also features a forum to explore the issues that we face in this new reality after the pandemic. This year’s exciting speaker lineup includes Professor Toby Walsh (Laureate fellow, and professor of artificial intelligence at the UNSW), Benjamin Flouw (Author and illustrator of The Golden Glow), Jean-Marc Rochette (Creator/artist and illustrator of The Snowpiercer), among others. The festival will feature esteemed speakers and new voices from India, Nepal, East Asia, Europe, and the US.

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Bhutan’s Department of Tourism has confirmed that the 8th edition of the Royal Bhutan Flower Exhibition is scheduled from May 02 – 06, 2023 in the capital Thimphu. The main venues of the exhibition will be the Clock Tower square in the heart of the city, and Norzin Lam, the main avenue of Thimphu. As always, green spaces and gardens will be developed across the city as part of the festival. The Royal Bhutan Flower Exhibition aims to promote an appreciation of beautiful urban spaces, support floriculture and gardening related entrepreneurship, and establish a vibrant community event. Now an annual event, the Royal Bhutan Flower Exhibition is hosted by different districts in partnership with the local community. Over the years, the event has extended beyond the main venue, to transform entire towns. Permanent gardens, murals and art installations created during the festival have become landmarks in host towns. Besides local gardeners, the event participants include artisans and cottage entrepreneurs showcasing homemade products and traditional crafts. Local artists are engaged in the creation of installations, such as the gorgeous 200-metre wall mural in Haa painted by artists from VAST (Voluntary Artists Studio, Thimphu) Bhutan. The Institute of Traditional Medicine participates annually to showcase the rich array of medicinal plants and herbs of the Himalayas. The festival is hugely popular and widely attended by both tourists and locals, with families traveling between districts in Bhutan for the event. The first edition of the Royal Bhutan Flower Exhibition was held on April 1st, 2015 at the historic Ugyen Pelri Palace in Paro as part of a yearlong commemoration of the 60th birthday of the Fourth King of Bhutan. “The Royal Bhutan Flower Exhibition is innovative – it gives artistic expression to our rich environmental and cultural heritage, promoting the cause of environmentalism as well as art, community, and culture. It is a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate our beautiful environment, flora and greenery and to explore innovative ways of making and keeping all our natural surroundings as works of floral and greenery art. We hope this annual Royal Flower Festival will in due course of time become a much sought after event by both Bhutanese and foreign guests,” concluded Dorji Dhradhul, the Director General of the Department of Tourism.

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