Peoples of the Golden Triangle

For centuries the mysterious region of Southeast Asia known as the Golden Triangle has exerted a powerful hold over the Western imagination. Today it continues to figure in world news because of the infamous traffic in opium and heroin. Yet this fascinating area is also of considerable interest for a different reason: within it live six culturally distinct peoples - the Karen, Hmong, Mien, Lahu, Akha and Lisu - struggling to maintain the integrity of their beliefs and way of life against all the pressures of the rapidly changing society around them. Paul and Elaine Lewis have lived with the tribes of northern Thailand since 1968. The results of their experience and research have been gathered in this book, along with more than 700 mainly colour photographs. Here we see not merely the landscape in which these people live, but their ceremonies their clothing, their houses and villages and their impressive skills at jewelry, textiles and basketmaking.