Regional background
Ancestral home to the Dorji family , the people of Haa inhabit the high valleys above 3,000 meters. Strong-boned and resilient, the people of Haa are devout and hardworking yak herders and farmers who cultivate high altitude crops such as wheat, potatoes, barley and millet. Their religious life revolves around the appeasement of Buddhist and Shamanic (Bon) deities and entities including Ap Chhundu, their guardian spirit, believed to protect all people born in Haa.
Things to do and see
Schedule your visit during the annual Haa’s Alpine festival to see the weaving and making of yak hair tent from scratch! Expect to see a variety of yak products on display including coveted bundle of white yak tails (which are believed to bring good luck to one’s home), learn about the traditional process of yak shearing and wool making, see how yak dairy is turned into delicious traditional meals that showcase the culinary traditions of Haa.
Since people of Haa are also known for their skills in the traditional 13 arts and crafts of Bhutan, you are likely to stumble on beautiful one of a-kind bargains crafted from gold, silver, bronze, clay, slate and wood.
As an added highlight, be sure to catch the Nublang cattle show at the alpine festival. A breed of cattle unique to the Haaps, the Nublangs trace their origins to a legendary lake called the Nub Tshonapata, located in the western mountain ranges. According to a local myth, this special breed of cattle was granted as a present to a herder from Haa for his kindness to a deity of the lake.