Guide to Northern Thailand and the Ancient Kingdom of Lanna
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Freeman, Michael, PUBLISHER: Weatherhill, The country that we now refer to as Thail<strong>andstrong> only achieved its present form in the nineteenth century. Before that, there flourished Lanna (meaning "One million rice fields"), a region whose documented history began in the eighth century; in it was incorporated into Siam <strong>andstrong> ceased to exist as a political entity, but its cultural influence is far reaching. Superbly illustrated throughout, Michael Freeman's book shows how the Lanna culture remains as distinctive as ever. What the modern-day visitor sees owes its existence to an incredible number of influences, for the people of Lanna included the Tai Yuan, the Tai Lu, the Shan, the Mon <strong>andstrong> the Siamese. How they settled in the Lanna valleys, <strong>andstrong> the subsequent development of the region, can be traced in the art <strong>andstrong> architecture that still survive today. Taking the region valley by valley, the author explains how the principal cities <strong>andstrong> sites developed, but most important, he provides a fascinating guide to "Thail<strong>andstrong>'s northern kingdom" as it is nowadays--including houses, temples, its art <strong>andstrong> its people--all accompanied by stunning photography.