Northern
Thailand has borne witness to several kingdoms, invasions and
spheres of influence over the centuries, including the 600-year-long
Lanna period and the Sukhothai era, thought to have been the
cradle of Siam as a nation. These civilizations have left a
rich heritage of arts and crafts to the people of the North,
a heritage that can still be seen in the temples, houses and
sculptures of the region, and in the costumes, music and crafts
of the many tribal groups that inhabit the hills and valleys
of the North.
