Lunana

Located at an altitude of 3400m, the valley of Lunana is the most isolated in Gasa district. An unspoiled traditionally nomadic people surviving amongst glaciers, living in harmony with nature and gods, and thriving on the collection of the ‘summer grass, winter worm’ (cordyceps/yartsa goenbub), a rare fungal species much sought after in the global Chinese market for its aphrodisiac and clinical properties. The people of Lunana in general speaks Dzongkha with a distinctive accent and their local dialect. It is bordered by the gewogs of Laya in the west, Goen Shari Punakha in the southwest, Sephu Gewog in the southeast and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the extreme north. About half of Lunana falls under the Jigme Dorji National Park and the other half under Ugyen Wangchuk National Park providing protection of habitat for different species of birds and animals like the takin, musk deer, blues heep,snow leopard, red panda, raven, wild pheasant, snow pigeon, himalayan black bear, tiger, and black necked crane. Since diversification of agriculture production is not allowed by the harsh weather contidions, only dry land cropping like wheat, buckwheat, potato, radish and turnip are carried out on a small scale. But nowadays, with aid from the Royal Government of Bhutan, man...