Samtse – a lowland district shaped by settlement in the 20th century
For a long time Samtse, in Bhutan's southwest, was only sparsely populated: mountain-dwelling Bhutanese considered the low-lying land prone to tropical disease. This changed in the early 20th century, when many people from Nepal were invited to help clear the forests and settled here. Samtse is also home to the Lhop, or Doya, a small ethnic group of about 2,500 people whom some Bhutanese regard as the original inhabitants of the southwest, known for their animistic beliefs and distinctive customs. Today the district is the third most populous in Bhutan, with over 62,000 inhabitants, and its population is still growing. Do you have stories or family memories from Samtse? Share them here with the community!