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 prominently in world news as a focal point for tales 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 in a hostile environment to maintain the integrity of their beliefs, customs and way of life against all the pressures of the rapidly changing society around them. Paul and Elaine Lewis lived and worked with the tribes of northern Thailand for many years. The results of their experience and research have been gathered in this book, along with more than 700 photographs - almost all of them in color. Here we see not merely the demanding landscape in which these people live, but their ceremonies and rituals, their clothing and ornamentation, their houses and villages and the impressive skills which they exhibit in such crafts as jewelry, textiles and basketmaking.