New ‘mindfulness’ city in Asia will have separate laws to rest of country

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Bhutan has announced plans to build a ‘mindfulness city’, with separate laws to the rest of the country. The ‘Gelephu Mindfulness City’ will lie in a special administrative region with separate rules and laws that will aim to be an economic corridor linking South Asia to Southeast Asia, officials said. open image in gallery Buddhist monks on their way to a monastery in Bhutan The GMC website says the project is based on Bhutan’s Buddhist heritage and culture, its stress on happiness, well-being and mindfulness, and also incorporates eco-friendly architecture in what is the world’s first carbon-negative country - one that absorbs more carbon than it produces. India, Bhutan’s biggest economic and trade partner as well as donor, is supportive of the project and would extend its roads and railway network to the border to connect GMC, officials said.