The ways in which people produce fabric reveal a great deal about their superstitions, religious practices, and relationship with the environment. Few were more connected with their ecosystem than the Mekong people of Lanna. Lanna weavers would use common raw materials such as cotton for everyday items whilst reserving silk supplies for special garments and ceremonial banners.
Fragments of cotton, silk and jute discovered at Ban Chiang, Northeast Thailand, suggest that the Lanna textile tradition began around 700 B.C. Ancient illustrations at the Viharn Lai Kham, Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai Old City, and the viharn at Wat Buak Khrok Luang offer a historical record of the Lanna textile tradition.