More than 40,000 volunteers worked through the night to build 108 Buddhist monuments in a single day in southern Bhutan. The 15-meter-tall structures, called stupas, are sacred stone and earth monuments placed along 12 kilometers of riverbank near the border with India. In Buddhism, which is widely practiced across the Himalayan nation, the number 108 holds special religious significance.
The building effort took place at the site of Gelephu Mindfulness City, an ambitious new urban project conceived by Bhutan's king. The country is currently facing major economic challenges, including rising unemployment and the departure of skilled young workers moving abroad. Leaders hope the planned city will attract investment in green technology, education, and sustainable businesses so that young citizens have good reasons to stay and work at home.
About 200,000 people—nearly a quarter of Bhutan's total population—gathered to attend the ceremony. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck admitted he had worried that raising so many stupas in just 24 hours might not succeed, but thanked the participants after the project was completed smoothly. For many local residents, the massive gathering offered a rare sense of pride and optimism for the nation's future.