| Synopsis: |
The beautiful old walled city of Chiang Mai, set amid the forested mountains and fertile valleys of northern Thailand, is the historic capital of the former Lan Na Kingdom. Founded in 1296 by King Mangrai the Great, it did not become fully part of Thailand until 1939, and even today the region retains a distinctly different character, with its own language, culture, cuisine and even temperament. Although around 40 times smaller than Bangkok, Chiang Mai remains the nation's cultural capital, as well as its most attractive and historically significant city. The authors have both lived in Chiang Mai for more than twenty years together with their Thai families, and consider Chiang Mai to be their home. In 2005 they began writing a series of articles entitled 'Ancient Chiang Mai' examining the history, culture and traditions of Chiang Mai and of its graceful and friendly people, the Northern Thais. The present study brings together 'Ancient Chiang Mai' articles 1-12, all published in 2005. |