An alternative Bhutanese folk custom "Fertility Teng" can be seen everywhere.

Bhutan is a backward country. Although Bhutan's economy is quite backward, in the "list of happy countries in the world" released in 2006, Bhutan ranked eighth and ranked first in Asia.

"My daughter is four years old, but her mother and I are not married and don't live together. We visit them every year. " Listening to Tashi, a Bhutanese tour guide, and looking at the sex totem that appeared in public, I was surprised by the openness and frankness of Bhutanese about marriage and sex. As a natural mountaineer, they emphasize the combination based on feelings.

Tradition is my first impression of Bhutan. But the houses all over the street are painted with totems, which is in great contrast with this introverted and shy mountaineer. Outsiders were a little confused at first, but they were soon relieved. In Tibetan Buddhism, it is a symbol of musical instruments, but Bhutanese express it more directly.

Such sex totems can be seen everywhere in Bhutan, and the girls look calm.

Especially in the handicraft street in Thimphu, you can see many wooden "male roots" used by Achala during festivals, as well as masks and so on. Bhutanese firmly believe that as long as this kind of wood carving is placed in the four corners of the room, it can be sheltered by the famous crazy holy monk LamaDrukpa Kunley, because the devil is also in awe of his strong genitals.

woodcut

souvenir

However, Bhutanese in real life are not as conservative and traditional as I thought in marriage and sex. Along the way, the tour guide Tashi was the Bhutanese I contacted the most. This young man in his thirties is fluent in Chinese, intelligent and enthusiastic. I always thought he would have a happy marriage when he became a father. When he finally left Bhutan, he accidentally asked, only to know that he and the child's mother were not married. This woman lives in southern Bhutan, and she seems to have no plans to live together in Thimphu. Tashi said that now that both sides are free, they can choose another spouse. This relationship is normal for Bhutanese, and no one will make irresponsible remarks.

Correspondingly, Bhutanese have a more open attitude towards sex, and they are not ashamed to communicate in this way. Bhutanese think * * * is very proud. However, romantic places have little attraction to Bhutanese. I have never seen or heard of such a place when traveling in Bhutan, but there is a very popular custom in rural Bhutan called "night hunting": when night comes and the last light goes out, those restless men will knock on the girl's door with flashlights or torches.

Spiritual sustenance; Emotional sustenance

Therefore, in rural areas, "hunters" shuttling between houses can be seen everywhere, just like the scenes written by French playwright Ma Liwo. In order to achieve their goal, men will do whatever it takes: they will send a child to the "target" house to deliver dairy products, in order to open the door of the girl's house and see if there are any suitors who arrive first. Therefore, unmarried pregnancy is also common in Bhutan, a Buddhist country where abortion is not allowed, but it is not necessary for parents to get married or live together because of this, but it depends on whether both parties have this will.

totem

Arts and crafts shop

According to Tashi, in a Bhutanese society dominated by Buddhism, the weddings of Bhutanese are informal compared with those in neighboring South Asia, whether in urban or rural areas. On the one hand, it is wasteful to do big things, on the other hand, Bhutanese pay more attention to funerals, which are far more grand than weddings. For a long time, men and women in love in Bhutan, as long as they live together, even if they get married, they don't need a ceremony. Free love is the main thing, and both sides have the right to choose.

Even in recent years, Bhutan has not promulgated a law on monogamy. In fact, as long as both parties agree, it is still possible to be polygamous or polygamous. The average age of marriage for men is 2 1, and that for women is 16. If one of them runs away from home, it will lead to divorce, and there is no need to go through any formalities. It's hard to imagine the same dream in Bhutan. If it's not suitable, why do you have to live together? Sounds very human.

Family values are very heavy

Unlike South Asian countries, Bhutan has achieved gender equality well. Even women have a high status in the family, and even the inheritance is passed on from women to children. Perhaps it is considered that men may sow seeds everywhere, while women will stay and raise children. According to local folklore, after marriage, the man must "adopt" the woman, and the obligation to support all falls on his daughter's shoulders. After a centenarian, the family's property must also be charged to her daughter's account. Because women are "unable to get married" and are still in the special role of "bringing home the bacon", they often hold the economic power of the whole family. Economic independence is uncompromising, even in front of parents and husbands.

Quiet street

However, in this country where the marriage system is chaotic and vague, family values are very heavy, and once they decide to live together, few people will divorce. The older generation of Bhutanese have their own views on the marriage system. "Countries with legal constraints have a high divorce rate, while Bhutan has no legal constraints, but the divorce rate is low and happiness is high." In their eyes, marriage is the biggest joke. Bhutanese are very pragmatic and believe that marriage should be based on mutual understanding. If two people who love each other live together, it means they are engaged, otherwise, they will be set free.

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