Both males and females may become monks; however the number of female monks is relatively small.  At six to nine years old, monks join the monastery and are placed under the discipleship of a headmaster.  In addition to learning Dzongkha and English, the young monks learn to read chhokey, the language of the ancient sacred texts.  They must choose to study theology and Buddhist theory or to become proficient in the rituals and personal practices of their faith.  An abbot, who is usually a lama, heads each monastery.  The highest monk is the chief abbot of Bhutan, whose title is Je Khenpo, commanding the respect that a king does.  The Central Monk Body, an assembly of roughly 600 monks, attends to the most important religious duties of the country.  In the summer they are housed in Thimphu, and in the winter they reside at the Punakha dzong, the most sacred dzong in Bhutan, where Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal's mortal body has been kept under vigil since the late 1600s.

Religious festivals, Tsechus, remain an important part of the Bhutanese culture.  The annual events draw villagers from surrounding districts for several days of religious observances and socializing while contributing propitious offerings to the lama or monastery of the festival.  The central activities are the religious mask dances, cham, held in a large courtyard where dancers wear colorful wooden or composition masks and costumes.  The dancers are an important part of Bhutan’s cultural preservation, maintaining ancient folk and religious customs while perpetuating the ancient art of mask making.  Observation of the dances directly blesses the audience and also serves to transmit principles of Tantric Buddhism to the villagers. Several of the dances can be traced to Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the founder of Bhutan, and have been passed down essentially unchanged since the mid-1600s.  Prior to dawn on the final day of the tsechu a huge tapestry, thongdrel, is spread out in the courtyard of the dzong for several hours. The mere sight of it is believed to bring spiritual liberation. The thongdrel is rolled up before the rays of the morning sun can strike it.

In addition to religious festivals, Bhutan celebrates several public holidays such as winter solstice, the lunar New Year, the King's birthday and the anniversary of his coronation, the official start of monsoon season, and National Day. 

Sporting events are also a celebratory social occasion for the Bhutanese, in particular the national sport of archery with regular competitions.  Both the technical aspects and the atmosphere are vastly different from Olympic standards.  Spectators can expect an abundance of food, drink, singing and dancing. Cheering is encouraged, as are distractions for the opposing team, such as standing around the target and teasing the shooter about their skill.  Another popular outdoor team sport is darts (khuru), and digor, similar to shot put, is also a traditional Bhutanese sport.  Gaining popularity are cricket and football.

Unique to Bhutan is the belief that Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product.  The King has been committed to building an economy that is appropriate for Bhutan's unique culture, based on Buddhist spiritual values, and has served as a unifying vision for the economy.  The unusual approach to economics is working for Bhutan, with its per capita income growing faster than most other countries in South Asia, as is its standard of living. 

Bhutan's economy is based on agriculture (the livelihood of more than 80% of the population), forestry, tourism and the sale of hydroelectric power to India.  The majority of Bhutan’s agricultural products are not used as exports, but rather used to sustain the country.  The staple foods are rice, buckwheat and corn.  Other farmed products used include pork, beef, yak meat, chicken and mutton.  Chilies are an important part of the Bhutanese diet, and there spiciness is often off-set with cheese.  Dairy products, particularly butter and cheese from yaks and cows, are also popular, and the majority of milk is turned to butter and cheese. One crop that won’t be found in Bhutan is tobacco, as Bhutan is the only country in the world to have banned the sale of tobacco.

In addition to the ban on tobacco, until 1999, there was a ban on television and the Internet.  Over the past few decades modern technologies have slowly been integrated into Bhutan.  In 1973, the first radio service was broadcast for thirty minutes on Sundays, television became available in 1999, and Internet service was established in 2000.  In 2002 the first feature length movie was shot in Bhutan, Travelers and Magicians, which was written and directed by Rimpoche Khyentse Norbu.

The struggle to preserve the culture is also evident in Bhutan's political system, which has moved from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy over the past decade.  In December of 2005, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the 4th King, announced that the first general elections would be held in 2008, and that he would abdicate the throne in favor of his eldest son.  In December of 2006 King Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicated his throne, and Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck became king.