Tens of thousands build 108 Buddhist stupas for Bhutan ‘mindfulness’ city

Bhutan is creating a ‘mindfulness’ city aimed at driving economic growth and persuading more young people to stay.

Volunteers construct a stupa at Gelephu in Bhutan on November 1, 2026, as part of a project to build 108 Buddhist stupas in a single day [Upasana Dahal/AFP]

Tens of thousands of volunteers have taken part in building 108 Buddhist stupas in Bhutan’s new “mindfulness” city, as the Himalayan kingdom embarks on an ambitious project to boost economic growth.

The 15-metre-tall (50ft) stupas, sacred Buddhist monuments found across the Himalayas, were installed on Sunday along 12km (7.5 miles) of riverbank near the Indian border, at the site of the future Gelephu Mindfulness City.

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More than 40,000 volunteers participated in building the structures as “a physical form of prayer made permanent in stone and earth”, after starting work after midnight, officials said. The number 108 is sacred in Buddhism, widely practised in Bhutan.

About 200,000 people attended the ceremony, or nearly a fourth of the population, officials told the AFP news agency.

“I was worried that raising 108 stupas in a single day might not succeed,” Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck said in a speech at the ceremony.

“But everything went successfully, and for that, I am truly grateful.”

Bhutanese leaders hope that Gelephu Mindfulness City, conceived by the king and designed by Danish architects, will boost the country’s economy and persuade more young people to stay, attracting investment in sustainable business, green technology, education, tourism and financial services.

Bhutan is facing massive economic challenges, from rising unemployment and falling birth rates to the mass migration of skilled workers.

The city, currently a small town with a population of about 10,000, is in southern Bhutan, along the border with India, about 240km (150 miles) south of Thimphu, the nation’s capital.

The king established the special zone by royal charter in 2024, saying its purpose was to “create a vibrant economic hub”.

The landlocked Himalayan nation, with a population of just under 800,000 and wedged between China and India, is known for its policy of prioritising “ Gross National Happiness ” alongside economic growth.

“This occasion will be recorded in our history for generations to come,” said Nima Gyeltshen, 65, head of the Organisation for Youth Empowerment, which helps young Bhutanese find work.

Cryptocurrency ambitions

Analysts have questioned whether Bhutan can attract sufficient investment to realise its vision for the new city.

But Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, head of the ports-to-power conglomerate, joined the project as a founding member in January.

The site is set to be connected to India’s rail network in neighbouring Assam, with an international airport slated to open in 2029.

The project is also linked to Bhutan’s cryptocurrency ambitions , with the kingdom mining Bitcoin using surplus hydropower and pledging to use digital assets to support the city’s development.

Bishnu Maya Moktang, a resident who attended Sunday’s ceremony, said she was excited about the upcoming mindfulness city.

“I hope to live long enough to see it,” Moktang, 56, told AFP.

“My parents died young, and they would never see the city. I feel fortunate.”

不丹正在打造一座“正念之城”，旨在推动经济增长并吸引更多年轻人留下来。

2026年11月1日，志愿者在不丹格莱普建造一座佛塔，这是当天建造108座佛塔项目的一部分。[Upasana Dahal/AFP]

数万名志愿者参与了不丹新建的“正念之城”中 108 座佛教佛塔的建造，这个喜马拉雅王国正着手开展一项雄心勃勃的项目以促进经济增长。

这些高达 15 米（50 英尺）的佛塔是喜马拉雅山脉各地常见的神圣佛教纪念碑，于周日在靠近印度边境的 12 公里（7.5 英里）长的河岸上安装完毕，这里也是未来格莱普正念之城的所在地。

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据官员称，超过4万名志愿者参与了这些建筑的建造，他们“以石头和泥土的形式，将祈祷化为永恒的实体”，工作从午夜后开始。108这个数字在佛教中具有神圣意义，而佛教在不丹广为流传。

据法新社报道，官员称约有 20 万人参加了此次仪式，约占总人口的四分之一。

“我曾担心一天之内竖立 108 座佛塔可能无法成功，”不丹国王吉格梅·凯萨尔·纳姆耶尔·旺楚克在仪式上的讲话中说道。

“但一切都很顺利，对此我深表感激。”

不丹领导人希望，由国王构想、丹麦建筑师设计的格莱普冥想之城能够促进国家经济发展，吸引更多年轻人留下来，从而吸引对可持续商业、绿色技术、教育、旅游和金融服务的投资。

不丹正面临巨大的经济挑战，包括失业率上升、出生率下降以及技术工人大量外流。

该市目前是一个人口约 1 万的小镇，位于不丹南部，毗邻印度边境，距离不丹首都廷布以南约 240 公里（150 英里）。

国王于 2024 年通过皇家宪章设立了该特殊区域，称其目的是“创建一个充满活力的经济中心”。

这个位于喜马拉雅山脉的内陆国家，人口不足 80 万，夹在中国和印度之间，以其将“国民幸福总值”与经济增长并重的政策而闻名。

“这一事件将被载入史册，世代流传，”65岁的尼玛·杰尔岑说道，他是青年赋权组织的负责人，该组织致力于帮助不丹青年找到工作。

加密货币的雄心壮志

分析人士质疑不丹能否吸引足够的投资来实现其建设新城的愿景。

但印度亿万富翁、港口电力集团负责人高塔姆·阿达尼于今年1月作为创始成员加入了该项目。

该地将与邻近阿萨姆邦的印度铁路网连接，一座国际机场计划于 2029 年开放。

该项目也与不丹的加密货币雄心有关，不丹王国利用剩余的水力发电开采比特币，并承诺使用数字资产来支持城市发展。

参加周日仪式的居民比什努·玛雅·莫克坦表示，她对即将建成的正念之城感到兴奋。

“我希望自己能活得足够长，亲眼看到那一天，”56岁的莫克唐告诉法新社。

“我的父母很早就去世了，他们没能看到这座城市。我感到很幸运。”