Try your hand at Bhutanese archery
Archery ignites the passions in Bhutan. The elegance and heritage of this ancient sport take on a renewed energy: it’s a chance to celebrate culture and community through chanting and carousing.
Archery is an official national sport in Bhutan, and every village and town has its own dedicated field, or bha cho, where locals can practise their aim. Having been a crucial method of hunting and defence for centuries, in peaceful Bhutan, archery became a fashionable pastime with the royalty, before seeping into the culture as a whole as a much-loved sport and passionate spectacle.
Though old-school tournaments often take days to complete, the modern game is usually limited to one day of competitions with plenty of time for spectators to enjoy the accompanying food and entertainment and be part of the full-on Bhutanese archery spectator experience. On national holidays especially, the archery fever goes up a notch, so expect to get involved in an event of some kind – they’re hard to miss!
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What to expect at a Bhutanese archery tournament:
- A social focus, with loud team bravado and plenty of time to pause and enjoy the food, music and entertainment.
- Teams of archers in traditional dress aiming at a target 145m away – more than double the Olympic standard.
- Bamboo bows and arrows rather than modern carbon fibre ones.
- Raucous celebrations when archers hit their mark and mocking banter when the opposition miss.
- Swigs of something boozy from competitors and fans to ensure the rowdy entertainment is well-oiled.
Can I try my hand at Bhutanese archery?
There are plenty of opportunities to have a go yourself outside the tournaments. With an experienced teacher by your side, you can go from arrow-zero to target-hitting hero. Feel the thrill of pulling back your bow, trying to keep a steady grip with your heart pounding, before letting your quivering arrow fly and experiencing the exhilaration of seeing it strike the target. Of course, now you must celebrate with Bhutan-style enthusiasm.
Where are the best Bhutanese archery classes?
If you are keen to have a go for yourself, lessons in Thimphu or Paro are a great place to catch the archery bug, although opportunities can be found in Punakha, Gangtey and other locations. The Six Senses Resorts in Bhutan offer private archery sessions with a choice of traditional bamboo bows or modern equipment. These sessions are often accompanied with immersive storytelling about the sport’s historic and contemporary significance.
Where can I watch an archery tournament in Bhutan?
It’s probably easiest to list the places you can’t: every village and town has its own dedicated field, or bha cho, where tournaments are held. They are most likely to coincide with a national holiday but take place throughout the year. Thimpu’s Changlimithang Stadium is the most famous and prestigious archery ground, while tournaments in Paro and Punakha are set atmospherically near the river and dzong.
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