Sign up for free

Newsletters

Once a month
get new photos
and expert tips.

Photography
Main Photo Galleries Wallpapers Photo of the Day Photographers Photo Tips Buy Prints

Photo of the Day

August 15, 2002

Buddhist Leaders Meet, Thimphu, Bhutan, 1989

Photograph by James L. Stanfield

"Church and state entwine in Bhutan, where King Jigme Singye Wangchuck (at left) wears a yellow scarf, symbol of his authority, as he consults with Buddhist leaders on matters of public policy. His audience this day: the four lopons, or masters, of the central monastic body in Bhutan.

"'Only through a blend of tradition and modernity can we enhance the quality of our people,' declares the 35-year-old monarch, a hands-on ruler who speaks flawless English and used to play a decidedly un-Bhutanese sport—basketball—in his spare time."

—From "Bhutan: Kingdom In the Clouds," May 1991, National Geographic magazine