Nature and civilization coexist. Tradition and modernization converge. This is today's Bhutan. Unlike Tibet--which lies to Bhutan's north and is under tremendous political pressure from China--and unlike Nepal--Bhutan's neighbor that is anxious to become a part of the world economy--Bhutan is advancing towards modernization at a measured pace, with steps firm and steady, sure and confident.

The name Bhutan is derived from the Sanskrit "Bhotant," meaning "the end of Tibet," or from "Bhu-uttan," meaning "highland." Traditionally the Bhutanese call their country "Druk Yul," or "Land of the Thunder Dragon," and refer to themselves as "Drukpas," or "People of the Thunder Dragon."

Since Padmasambhava (or Guru Rinpoche) introduced Buddhism into Bhutan in the eighth century, the religion has taken root in the hearts of the Bhutanese. Since Bhutan has never been colonized, Buddhism has been free to flourish and become the predominant religion in the country. Today there are over 1,000 temples and monasteries in the kingdom, and everyone, old and young, is able to recite passages from Buddhist sutras. For the Bhutanese, religion is life and life is religion.

The Drukpa Kagyu sect, a branch of Mahayana Buddhism, is the state religion of Bhutan. It was established and named by the Tibetan lama Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorji in the 12th century. According to legend, the lama was consecrating a new monastery in Ralung, Tibet, when he heard thunder in the sky that sounded like the roars of dragons. Taking it as an auspicious omen, he named the new monastery "Thunder Dragon." This is the origin of the name "Drukpa Kargyupa."

Before the 17th century, separate valleys were each governed by feudal lords. However, by the early 1600s, Ngawang Namgyel, a Tibetan lama of the Drukpa school, had led the region to unified independence after being inspired by a dream. In his dream, a god changed into a crow and flew south over the Himalayas. Following the god's direction, Ngawang Namgyal headed south and arrived in Bhutan in 1616. By dint of his wisdom and courage, he unified the valleys into one nation and defeated an invading Tibetan army in 1639. He then titled himself "Shabdrung" and became the religious leader of Bhutan.

Shabdrung introduced a dual system of temporal and theocratic government and built a system of dzongs (fortified monasteries) throughout Bhutan. These dzongs reflect the dual system of government: half of a dzong complex functions as an administrative center, while the other half serves as a place where lamas can carry out their spiritual cultivation. Today, statues and portraits of Shabdrung, who wore a goatee, are common sights in temples throughout Bhutan.

Thanks to Shabdrung's dream, Bhutan became a nation state that proudly embraces the crow as its national bird. Although considered an ill omen in China and other parts of the world, flocks of Bhutanese crows circle freely over the rooftops of temples and people's dwellings.

Bhutan is home to three main ethnic groups: the Ngalongs, the Sharchops, and the Lhotshampas. The Ngalongs, descendants of Tibetans who migrated to Bhutan in the sixth or seventh century, reside mainly in western Bhutan. The Sharchops, probably Bhutan's earliest residents, live chiefly in eastern Bhutan; their origin can no longer be traced. The Lhotshampas live at the foot of the mountains in southern Bhutan. Of Nepalese origin, they migrated to Bhutan in the late 19th or early 20th century.

Based on the compassionate spirit of Buddhism, the Bhutanese do not kill. All animals, whether precious snow leopards or mangy dogs, can find a haven in Bhutan. The Himalayas harbor a rich variety of species, both animals and plants, and because the Bhutanese government maintains strict control over the felling of trees, 70 percent of the country's surface area is still covered with forests which shelter innumerable species. Life saturates the landscape: langurs sit in trees, pheasants and deer graze amidst groves, and black-necked cranes fly above after migrating from Tibet for the winter. Even the only highway in Bhutan is lined with fiery red rhododendrons and pure white magnolias.

Bhutan is a rich tapestry in which history, mythology, nature, and religion are intricately woven. Ancient stories and legends circulate among local Bhutanese, and religious relics adorn mountains and lake shores.

Membertso (the burning lake) in Bumthang is where Terton Pemalingpa supposedly discovered religious treasures hidden by Guru Rinpoche. According to legend, Pemalingpa dived into Membertso holding a lighted lamp. When he came out of the lake, the fire in the lamp was still burning. The famous Taktshang Monastery, located on a nearly perpendicular cliff, is where Guru Rinpoche alighted when he first arrived in Bhutan on the back of a flying tigress. A rock indented with the saint's footprints is displayed in a museum in Paro. In Bhutan, legend is history and history is legend.

Bhutanese have no family names. Lamas name newborn babies: Karma means star, Pema is lotus flower, Dorji is thunderclap, Tshering is longevity, and Kunzang means "everything is good." Most people have two names, which, when combined together, usually have profound meaning. For example, Karma Tshering means "long-lived star."

Since only a few names are commonly used, it is common for a person to run into someone else with the same name. Since many people share the same name and no surnames are used, the lines that demarcate families or individuals are blurred. Bhutan, with a population of 700,000, is like one big family.

"Bhutan is very small. It's easy to come across relatives or friends," said Karma Tshering, an outgoing 28-year-old man who accompanied us on our driving trip from western to central Bhutan. On the way, we had to pull over to the side of the road more than 10 times so that he could say hello to friends.

We arrived at Jakar, a village in Bumthang (central Bhutan), just after daybreak. The village was gradually awakening from its deep slumber. We arrived at the home of our driver, Kunzang Chopel. His mother, Tshewang, welcomed us with a shy smile and steaming hot milk, which quickly warmed our hearts and bodies.

Tshewang milks her cows every morning. She holds a cow's teats in her hands, squeezes them rhythmically, and squirts the warm white liquid into an iron bucket. Her husband, Pema, is a quiet man who has the suntanned skin of a farmer. He grows potatoes, buckwheat, leaf mustard, wheat, and corn on his farm. When asked whether the crops yielded well, he answered with slightly knotted brows, "Yes, if not for those insects or wild boars that often ravage my farm."

Later, at the side of a road, we saw 10 farmers sowing a piece of land. The women took small potatoes from heavy gunnysacks tied to their waists and bent down to bury them in shallow holes in the ground. The men operated machines that piled dirt onto the buried potatoes. When noon came, they sat down in the field and began to have lunch. They all held bamboo plates in their left hands, scooped rice from the plates with their right hands, and put the food into their mouths. The dirt between their fingers, mixed with the peppers and rice, also went down into their stomachs.

In Bhutan, over 80 percent of the population depend on farming for their livelihood, just like Kunzang's family. Their living standards are not high, but starvation is unlikely.

Sonam, who works for the agricultural department of the Bhutanese government, told us that the monthly income of the average farmer is only 2,000 ngultrum (US$42). Still, farmers in the country don't feel poor at all. "They grow rice, wheat, peppers, and apples themselves. All they need to buy is meat."

Young and beautiful, Sonam is one of the few female civil servants working in the Bhutanese government. She had trained in a natural resource center for three years. At the agricultural department she gives guidance and direction to farmers and writes reports to submit to the government.

"The biggest problem now is that there aren't enough machines," she said. "Our farmers can't afford them." With the help of machines, she explained, a half day's work can be finished in half an hour.

All machines, though, have to be imported from abroad. In fact, because there are very few factories in Bhutan, many goods must be imported. Petroleum, cars, clothing materials, and even daily necessities are all brought in from countries such as Thailand, China, Japan, and India, Bhutan's largest trading partner. The few factories that do exist in Bhutan are state-owned since the government exercises strict control on the industrial development of the country.

Meat is also usually imported because most Bhutanese refuse to be butchers. Some Indian butchers, however, do live in Bhutan and supply meat domestically. Bhutanese do not fish either, but fish often swim downstream to India, where they are caught and processed into dried fish. The dried fish are then sold to the Bhutanese.

"We eat meat, but we don't have the heart to kill animals," said one Bhutanese. Apparently, the Bhutanese don’t think there is any contradiction in this.

While Bhutan must import most of its necessities from India, the majority of Bhutan's exports are purchased in India. The diligent farmers in Bhutan grow a wide variety of crops in secluded valleys between mountains. Ninety percent of their produce, including rice, wheat, corn, buckwheat, peppers, apples, and oranges, is exported to India.

Aside from agricultural products, Bhutan has another godsend: the melted snow that flows down from the Himalayas. This unfailing supply of water has greatly benefited Bhutan. The profit from exporting hydroelectric power to India makes up over 40 percent of the kingdom's yearly income.

Bhutan depends almost entirely on India for both imports and exports, so should the Bhutanese be afraid that India will someday control their country?

"It's possible, but we have trust in our king," said Karma, who also told us that the Bhutanese think their king has done a good job in maintaining good ties with India. His Majesty often goes to India to visit high-ranking officials and to discuss issues of cooperation regarding industries, energy resources, and education between the two countries.

The incumbent king of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, 47, is the fourth king of the Wangchuck Dynasty. His handsome portrait can be seen in almost every shop and household in Bhutan. Even signboards and newly issued stamps bear his image. Ever since he ascended the throne at the age of 19, he has been following in his father's footsteps, leading Bhutan to tackle the challenges posed by modernization.

Bhutan is now implementing its ninth five-year plan, an economic program launched by its third king in 1961. Before 1961, the country was closed to the outside world and hence isolated from modernization. Thanks to the economic program, Bhutan is now changing from an ancient society to a modern one with a highway, electricity, clean water, presentable hospitals and schools, and domestic currency, postage, and telephone systems. According to statistics compiled by the government, life expectancy in the country increased from 46 to 66 years between 1977 and 1999.

The slumbering thunder dragon has woken up, and it is marching forward with careful but firm steps. In 1971, Bhutan joined the United Nations. In the late 1980s, its incumbent king coined the phrase "Gross National Happiness" (GNH) in place of the term "Gross National Product" (GNP). In his opinion, in addition to economic growth, a country should pursue the greatest material and spiritual happiness for its people.

Bhutan is changing from a secluded Arcadia to an independent, self-governing political entity. In order to prevent the country from disappearing into the whirlpool of contemporary civilization, the Bhutanese monarchy has taken great pains to preserve tradition and to protect the natural environment. The government has made many rules and regulations for its people to follow. For example, all Bhutanese have to wear the national costume when they go out. The men wear the gho, a knee-length robe tied around the waist by a small belt. The women wear the kira, an ankle-length dress worn under a thin outer garment. The king himself sets a good example: he wears a freshly pressed gho even when he is playing golf or basketball.

Buildings, including hospitals, banks, schools, and private dwellings, must be constructed in the traditional style as well, regardless of whether the building materials are earth and wood or steel bars and concrete. In art schools, students use compasses and rulers to create precise Buddhist thangka paintings. Every line has to be drawn in accordance with the required standards. "Keep the traditional culture alive" has become the motto of Bhutan.

There are more rules. Karma Tshering secretly bought a plastic bag in a market to contain chili peppers. "It's illegal," he said with a sly smile. The government forbids people to cut trees, hunt, mine, or even use plastic bags because it believes that the natural environment should never be sacrificed to further economic development.

Tourism policies are also enforced to safeguard the traditional Bhutanese culture and the people's lives. In 1974, Bhutan opened its door to tourism. It is, however, expensive to travel in the kingdom. Tourists to the country pay a fixed tariff of US$200 per day, and they can only travel in areas designated by the government. As a consequence of the high travelling expenses, only 8,000 tourists visited Bhutan in 2000. Leki Dorji, a hotel owner, said that the US dollars brought in by tourists, 35 percent of which go to the government, have become the main source of foreign currency income.

Although there are many rules to follow, the Bhutanese do not complain. They obey the rules and live their lives in peace. As restrictive as the rules are, they also protect the country. In Bhutan, where people live in prosperity and safety, the existence of "democratic freedom" does not seem necessary.

In Trongsa, fourth-grader Dechen Choden politely asked me, "What's your name, ma'am? What's your telephone number? Can I be your friend?" these questions. Her English was correct but not fluent. She was short of breath and her eyes glowed with excitement.

While older people in Bhutan still piously twirl their prayer wheels, the younger generation is keen to learn more about foreign culture. Children start to learn English when they are in kindergarten and most textbooks, imported from abroad, are in English. Only textbooks used to teach the official language, Dzongkha, are in the native language. Bhutanese children are familiar with English, but they seldom have the chance to talk to foreigners.

Three years ago, Bhutan lifted its ban on television and the Internet. The newly introduced technology opened the eyes of the Bhutanese and introduced them to a kaleidoscopic world. Now TV programs often distract mothers when cooking, and it is reported that food is more frequently burnt. Children often leave their homework unfinished, and young people put up posters of Indian movie stars or American pop singers in their rooms.

Those who have seen the movie The Cup can easily understand why the Bhutanese government decided to lift the ban on TV. The 1998 Soccer World Cup took the world by storm, not excepting the Bhutanese. In order to watch live broadcasts of the soccer games, many citizens secretly installed satellite dishes on their homes. In the following year, the government ended the ban on television.

The removal of the ban indicated that the government of Bhutan had finally realized that, despite all its rules and despite the traditional garments people wore, it was impossible to stop the Bhutanese from pursuing what they really wanted. To modernize the country, the first thing that needed to be done was to listen to the hearts of the people.

Yet modernization does not occur without its share of side effects. When night comes, young people cannot wait to change into T-shirts and jeans. As people become more educated, they become reluctant to do farm work or raise cows. Urban problems ensue. The population of Thimphu has been growing at the rate of 10 percent per year, and the number of cars in the city has doubled in the past five years.

"We might encounter unemployment in the next five years," said Sangay, a young man. Since almost everything is imported from India, there are not enough job opportunities. Sangay and Ugyen, who wore a crimson baseball jacket, sat together in a bar. On the wall behind them hung a witty saying: "Wine is our biggest enemy, but the Bible tells us to love our enemy."

By 9 p.m., all the seats at the Mira Restaurant were occupied. The whole room seemed to vibrate with the high-pitched sounds of electric guitars, electric drums, and singing at the microphone. A male and female were singing to each other on stage while the audience talked and laughed loudly. The smoke that permeated the room obscured the portrait of the king on the wall and the forms of the people in the restaurant. I almost forgot I was in Bhutan.

The government of Bhutan surely knows the impact modernization will have on the country. In the book Bhutan 2020: A Vision for Peace, Prosperity and Happiness (1999), the government reviewed the progress the nation had made in its economy, education, environment, population growth, political system, and urban development. It also listed the challenges facing the country and the goals it had to reach before 2020. Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba, then the Chairman of the Planning Commission, wrote in the preface: "The vision attempts to strike a balance between development and environment, modernization and tradition, values and technology, immediate and long term, individuals and the society, and realism and aspirations."

Whether Bhutan will be able to strike the balance or fulfill its goals still remains to be seen. Nevertheless, because it started the modernization process later than most other countries and is cautious in planning its steps, it can learn from the lessons experienced by other countries. The kingdom is creating a unique Bhutanese civilization.

The loud and sonorous singing in the restaurant dragged me back to reality. After listening more closely to the electronic music, I realized that it was actually a traditional Bhutanese ballad. It was apparent from the happy expressions on the faces of the people that they did not find the intermingling of tradition and modernity in the music contradictory at all.

While the Bhutanese gladly welcome the conveniences brought in by modernization, they do not forget their thousand-year-old traditions. Instead, they try to fuse the old and the new, to bring new life into tradition.

The work of artist Kama provides us a good example. After studying art in England for two years, he came back to Bhutan and worked in the field of commercial design. He incorporates dharma wheels, lotus flowers, masks, and Buddhist images into his designs and rearranges the elements in creative, modernistic ways. He also organized an artists' association in Thimphu and found several teachers who shared his ideas to teach watercolor and oil painting for free. The works they create are very Bhutanese, full of dzongs and Buddhist images.

At a major religious ceremony held at Paro Dzong, tenth-grader Karma Tenzin told me after some pondering that he considered preserving tradition as important as modernizing.

He looked absorbedly at the mask dance that was going on in the middle of the square. Every now and then he would imitate his favorite movie star Kevin Spacey, who in the movie American Beauty plays the role of a middle-aged man who works out to build up his muscles to attract the attention of a young girl. I really could not see how this movie could be so attractive to a 10-year-old Bhutanese boy, just as I could not think of a reason why a mask dance and Kevin Spacey would not be compatible.

In Bhutan, there is no distinguishing line between history and mythology. Tradition and civilization coexist in harmony. Although it is the 21st century, the Bhutanese still circle Buddhist shrines while twirling prayer wheels, just as their ancestors did. They go round and round and keep twirling and spinning. In all their circling and twirling, mountains, houses, heaven, and earth seem to merge into an eternal circle.