English - JCIC-Heritage

The JCIC was asked to look into the possibility of cooperation from Japan. In order to conduct
the study, the JCIC needed to collect data, and to understand the current state of cultural heritage
protection in Bhutan.
3 Needs related to movable assets and intangible cultural heritage, and potential for
cooperation
Previously, Japan was mainly involved in cooperation and research on immovable heritage, so
there was a need for a comprehensive collection of information regarding movable heritage and
intangible cultural heritage protection.
For the above three reasons, Bhutan was chosen for the partner country survey in 2009.
(3) Cultural Heritage in Bhutan
1Uniqueness of Bhutan from the Viewpoint of Cultural Heritage
First of all, there is a need to acknowledge that the concept of cultural heritage common to the
rest of the world may not exist or be applicable in Bhutan.
Cultural heritage is that which was produced in the past and still exists in the present. In
that sense, there is a great deal of cultural heritage in Bhutan. The people of Bhutan are proud
of their cultural heritage and feel happy to live in this country. However, for the Bhutanese,
cultural heritage means the spiritual heritage of Buddhism that has been passed down by monks,
in their teachings and blessings. Tangible heritage, such as dzongs, temples, stupas, statues
and paintings of Buddha, and intangible heritage, such as the cham (masked dance) and tsechu
(annual religious festivals) are all merely symbolic representations of the teaching of Buddha.
As such, they have only secondary meaning. Furthermore, Buddhism is fundamentally based on
the concept of impermanence. As Buddhists, the Bhutanese do not see their world as constant
and motionless, but as something constantly changing and ephemeral. From this point of view,
placing value on physical symbols is seen as an illusory attachment. The Bhutanese therefore
place little value on the tangible and visible, and see no intrinsic value in or pressing reason for
preserving an object simply because of its age. Little importance is placed on preservation of old
things, and even when a damaged object is repaired, restoration to the original condition is not a
priority.
One can notice a similar attitude among Tibetan refugees who practice Mahayana Buddhism.
Although they lost not only their tangible heritage, but also their country itself, and had to start
over again from nothing, in a foreign country, they were not overcome by this tragic setback;
rather, they thrived spiritually and have maintained their Buddhist tradition for over half a
century already. What these people value is not the physical symbols of their heritage, but the
existence of the lamas, the embodiment of their spiritual tradition. As long as lamas continue
existing, the tradition of Buddhism will not perish.
7