Egyptians transferred their energies from pyramid building to temple construction during the New Kingdom (1550–1070/69 BCE). They erected temples that rivaled Giza’s magnificence, and they
The historic northern Thai town of Chiang Saen is full of ancient Buddhist monuments, but Wat Phra That Chedi Luang is its main shrine. People from all walks of life still pay their respects
Most historians think Thais originated in southern China. Tais (Tai is the spelling of the diaspora of ethnic groups who speak the same family
Greeks began to form colonies in the eighth century BCE. This movement, in which people loaded their belongings onto ships and ventured out to sea
Many historic temples grace the northern Thai town of Nan, so I spent several days there. Wat Ming Muang was low on my list because
While artists in Florence developed three-dimensional perspective and France’s King Francois I imported the Italian Renaissance to beef up his image, Thais perfected their own art
Ancient Greek cities were engaging in unique ways. They were so immersive that it was difficult for most people to imagine life outside them, and
Vientiane has a lot of enchantments besides That Luang. It became one of Southeast Asia’s greatest cities in the 17th century. Lan Xang moved
Many Laotians consider Vientiane’s That Luang to be their national monument, but the insight guide that the Discovery Channel published called it strange and exotic.