Photos prove Bhutan deserves the title of 'the happiest kingdom in the world'

Bhutan considers "Gross National Happiness" to be a more valuable and important measure than "Gross Domestic Product" .

In recent years, Bhutan, a small country located in the Himalayas, has become a famous tourist destination worldwide. What makes Bhutan so noticeable is the title "the happiest kingdom in the world". Bhutan has a completely different appearance from the world: peaceful, windy, rustic, simple but extremely happy. And indeed, according to many surveys, the quality of mental health in the kingdom is always at a very high level, not due to economic development.

In the 1970s, Bhutan's leaders decided that "Gross National Happiness" was a more valuable measure than "Gross Domestic Product ." Since then, the government has had a number of policies in place to promote the mental health of its people . There are many reasons why Bhutanese people are so happy that the outside world may not fully understand.

Bhutan is one of the world's leading countries in clean energy. Hidden beneath its mountains are giant tunnels and hydroelectric turbines that harness the rain, wind and snowmelt from the Himalayas to power the country.

The most popular religion here is Buddhism. 

Bhutanese people love nature and have the mindset of always seeking peace of mind and living a peaceful and gentle life.

In the 1970s, Bhutan rejected GDP as the only way to measure success, opting instead for what it calls Gross National Happiness. King Jigme Singye Wangchuck coined the term. Here, workers prepare portraits of the former king and his son, current King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, for their 60th birthdays.

Yet Bhutan is far from being backward or cut off from the modern Western world. The country has everything from rappers to pop bands influenced by musicians from around the world.

Pictured is tour guide Karma Lotey wearing traditional Bhutanese dress. Both men and women wear traditional uniforms during working hours. Men wear a garment called a gho , while women wear a kira , a long skirt. They love, take pride in, and consider their traditional clothing their daily wear.

Bhutan's capital Thimphu is one of the most developed areas of the country.

There are no traffic lights in Bhutan. People protested when the first traffic light was installed and the government removed it soon after.

Archery is a very popular sport in Bhutanese culture. Here a farmer shoots an arrow in Paro, Bhutan.

Bhutan is the first country in the world to have a constitutional requirement for its citizens to protect the environment. At least 60 percent of the country must remain forested. It is also the only country in the world to ban the sale of tobacco.