The Golden Triangle, an evocative name for the vast expanse where Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos converge, sweeps through the foothills of the Himalayas. Before our Earth was delineated by national boundaries, this wild tract of rugged, often impenetrable mountains, dense forests, and fertile river valleys was the setting for a cultural and historical crossroads. For thousands of years, some of the world’s oldest civilisations settled here, migrating from the highlands of China and Tibet, wandering the network of trade routes that connect India and Mongolia, and travelling along the great rivers of Asia. With such movement and interchange, the Golden Triangle is now home to an astonishing number and variety of peoples, who continue to maintain their ancestral heritage and identity to a high degree. Over 130 different groups and…