In the past 5 years, Hai traveled to Bhutan 8 times and took more than 100,000 photos of that beautiful country. This week’s photo exhibit “Bhutan – Symphony of Four Seasons” displayed 40 of his best photos of Bhutan. It is hard to imagine that such a small country tucked in the Himalaya Mountains is the “Happiest Country” in the world, the last Buddhist Kingdom, with one of the fastest growing GDP. The Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan is the only nation that puts happiness at the core of public policy.

Summer comes in Ura valley, Bhutan's central region.

During his 8 trips to Bhutan, Nguyen Thanh Hai explored villages, bastions, and mountains and traveled to places that aren’t on the map to learn more about the land, culture, and people. Globalization has changed Bhutan, but things remain perfectly balanced. Hai says there seems to be no scramble there, just peacefulness and happiness. How can Bhutan maintain such a happy life in a ceaselessly developing world?

“The happiness of Bhutan’s people comes simply from a small kitchen, class, or corner of a village. There, you can think about your daily life and realize that you have more conditions for a happy life than in any other country,” Hai explained. 

Jakar in winter

Some call Bhutan “Switzerland of Asia” because of its small size and great beauty. From the 100,000 photos taken on trips to Bhutan, Hai selected 40 of his favorites, representing four seasons, to introduce Bhutan to Vietnamese people. According to photographer Nguyen Thanh Tung, the attractiveness of the exhibit is Hai’s style of expression. Each photo has its own tone and look, but they all convey the happiness of Bhutan. Even photos of frosty winter show a beautiful Bhutan full of vitality. Tung says Hai took the photos as if he were in his own homeland.

“The most important thing about this exhibit is that Hai chose a theme and a collection of photos that nobody else has done: the four seasons of Bhutan. The collection fully describes a beautiful and hospitable Bhutan that reflects the country’s principal religion: Buddhism,” Tung said.  

Mask dance

In recent years, internet, cable television, cell phones, and many other modern technologies and ideas have come to Bhutan, but the desire to preserve cultural values and the desire to protect the environment has remained strong.

With all of his skill, Hai helps the outside world grasp the happiness of Bhutan’s people – their peace of mind, their fresh air, and the preservation of their cultural identity over thousands of years.

“Professional and unique” are the assessment of travel blogger Dinh Hang of Hai’s photo exhibit. She says he must love Bhutan like his homeland. Hang says these photos couldn’t touch people’s hearts unless the photographer took them with his own real emotions.

“People often see the professionalism of Nguyen Thanh Hai’s photos. But in this exhibit, I see his love for Bhutan. I just visited Bhutan this autumn. So when I look at Hai’s photos, I want to go back there again,” Hang said.

Punakha - Northwestern Bhutan

Hai says he wants to share his happiness with less fortunate people by selling all the photos and other items at the exhibit to raise money for charity. He will donate all the proceeds to Help Portrait Vietnam – a community of photography lovers – to take photos of pediatric patients, disadvantaged children, and the homeless elderly across Vietnam.