Chiang Mai was planned, not improvised. Founded at the end of the thirteenth century by King Mangrai as the capital of Lan Na, the old city is a square defined by a moat and brick ramparts, oriented and laid out according to precise principles - a form still perfectly legible from the air seven centuries later. Within it stand some of the most important temples in northern Thailand, their teak halls, gilded chedis and naga staircases representing a religious architecture distinct from that of central Siam. The film moves through the quarters inside the walls, from the great monasteries to the small neighbourhood wats, the surviving gates and corner bastions, the flower and food markets, and the workshops that keep Lan Na craft traditions alive. A rich, easily programmed title for Asian-heritage collections, city portraits and travel strands.
