Strings of colorful prayer flags, backlit by the morning sun, hang in the trees on the trail to Tiger's Nest Monastery (Taktsang), near Paro, Bhutan

---

Prayer flags traditionally come in sets with five different colors representing the five elements: blue for the sky and space, white for air and wind, red for fire, green for water, and yellow for earth. The prayers and mantras printed on the flags will be blown by the wind to spread goodwill and compassion to all living beings. The prayers become a permanent part of the universe as the images fade from exposure to the elements.

---

Size: 6000px × 4000px
Location: Near Tiger's Nest Monastery, Paro, Bhutan
Photo credit: © John Cumbow / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: backdrop, background, backlit, banner, beautiful, bhutan, blue, buddhism, buddhist, canopy, cloth, colorful, colors, culture, curtain, daytime, draped, fabric, faded, flag, flags, forest, green, hike, hiking, horizontal, nature, outdoors, people, prayer, printed, red, religion, rural, sacred, sky, strings, sunny, textile, tourism, traditional, trail, translucent, travel, trees, trek, white, woods, yellow