Back to news

Haa Summer Festival Showcases Local Culture for Tourism Promotion

Introduced by the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) in 2011 to promote tourism in Haa Valley, the Haa Summer Festival is a two-day celebration of local culture. Also known as the Monsoon Festival, the event takes place in the month of July each year. It has become a major tourist attraction in recent years. This year, the festival was observed on 8 and 9 July. The event was organized by the Haa Dzongkhag Administration with funding from TCB. Speaking at the inaugural, the guest of honour, Dasho Dzongdag (governor) of Haa said, “Haa is one of the richest districts in Bhutan in terms of natural and cultural endowment. Festivals such as this one are the perfect way to showcase this endowment.”

2 mins Read

70% Complete
The 6th Haa summer Festival inauguration ceremony

Haa Valley is a pilot site of the Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KLCDI) of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). It focuses on livelihood diversification through community-based sustainable tourism promotion. The ICIMOD KLCDl team participated in the event this year with support from partners to showcase knowledge products and materials related to its work. A number of tourists and locals visited the KLCDI stall. They were mainly interested in learning about ICIMOD and its Transboundary Landscape Programme.

Although it rained intermittently, the weather did not deter tourists and locals form participating in the festival. According to the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) report, more than 100 tourists and about 600 local visitors attended the festival on the first day and about 40 tourists and 400 local visitors were present on the second day.

2
3
1. Mr Karma Phuntsho from ICIMOD briefing visitors on the Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KLCDI) 2. Members of the local young female group performing a cultural dance 3. Members of the local female group perform a cultural dance

Aside from several stalls, the festival showcased the thriving culture of the region. There were a variety of religious performances and cultural events showcasing the region’s nomadic lifestyle, particularly yak herding. Several of the traditional songs and folks dances of Haa were also performed. The main attraction of the event was the “Ap Chundu” dance performed by female performers. Ap Chundu is the protector deity of Haa district. Other attractions of the event included traditional games such as archery, pillow fights, and flat stone swing competitions. Food stalls showcasing local Haa cuisine comprising of a wide variety of delicacies such as special buckwheat dumplings and buckwheat fried noodles added to the collection of attractions.

Besides, the 11 homestays in Haa Valley initiated by TCB and RSPN provided visitors an experience of the unique rural lifestyle and the heartwarming hospitality of the locals. Aside from homestays, features of rural tourism services in the area include cultural excursions and nature hikes with local guides. Through such undertakings, the local community is able to generate income while conserving nature and promoting traditional culture. Locals remain enthusiastic about turning Haa Valley into a community-based tourist hotspot through sustainable tourism. The Haa Summer Festival is an avenue that will help local people—men and women, young and old—nurture innovative ideas to attract and entertain increasing numbers of tourists and visitors to the Haa Valley.


Masked artists performing a traditional dance


Dasho Dzongdag (governor) of Haa and Director of the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) being served tea inside a nomadic yak herder stall


Local men participating in traditional games

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

4 Feb 2016 Climate change
Myanmar Journalists Learn Climate Change Communication

A five-day training for 20 Myanmar journalists on reporting climate change adaptation was organised by the International Centre for Integrated ...

14 Jun 2016 Water and air
Spring Management in Darchula

At daybreak, the villagers, mostly women and children, come out carrying containers of different shapes and sizes. They walk to ...

28 Oct 2016 News
Upper Indus Basin (UIB) Network Strategic Committee Meeting

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development’s (ICIMOD) Strategic Committee Meeting of Upper Indus Basin (UIB) Network was held  17 ...

12 Feb 2015 News
ICIMOD participates in the SAARC Working Group on Monsoon Meeting

At the second SWGM meeting, which was jointly organized by SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC) and the India ...

24 Jul 2019 CBFEWS
Partnering with private enterprise and communities to manage flood risk

Zarnash Bibi, a teacher from Pakistan says that flood early warning systems have put vulnerable communities at ease: “Earlier, we ...

21 Jun 2018 Geospatial solutions
First comprehensive report on glacial lakes in the Hindu Kush Himalaya released

Experts refer to the different types of glacial lakes based on dam type and the process by which the lake ...

8 Aug 2016 News
An Innovative Flood Mapping Information to Speed Up Disaster Response

ICIMOD Koshi Basin Programme (KBP) can now rapidly produce ‘flood inundation map’ to speed up response to flooding in the ...