Archery goes back many centuries here but was not officially declared the national sport of the kingdom until 1971, when Bhutan became a member of the United Nations. Since then, the popularity of Bhutanese archery has increased even further, is it's showcased during local festivals, between public ministries and departments, and between the dzongkhags and the regional teams. It's culturally distinctive - including, for example, verbal "battles" in which archers display their intellectual aplomb and even literary skills whilst belittling opponents - and is a way of socialisation, communication, and development of relations between people.

Read more about this fascinating country in Tripatini contributor Truly Bhutan's post An Overview of the Mystical Kingdom of Bhutan.