Chiang Rai – An exhibition of photographs by Reinhard Hohler will be organized by the newly established Alliance Francaise in Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand, starting on August 29.

The unique collection of photos is featuring the Mekong River, the longest river in Southeast Asia, which is more and more threatened by the building of dams and industrial development schemes.

Through his photographs, Reinhard Hohler attempts to give the visitor an in-depth perspective on the different geographical, historical and economic aspects of the Mekong River, which runs through the heart of Indo-China.

The 72 photographs highlight the landscapes and scenery seen during an expedition in November 2002, which started in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan/China, passing through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, before ending in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. The exhibition – first sponsored by the German Embassy in Bangkok – includes photos marking the group’s visit to the gravesite of the famous French explorer Henri Mouhot in Luang Prabang, the transfer of the group’s hovercraft around the scenic Khone Falls on the Lao-Cambodia border, as well as a side trip to the ruins of Angkor in Cambodia and Oc Eo in Viet Nam.

When the expedition had finally arrived in the Mekong Delta of Viet Nam, the first continuous navigation of the Mekong River had been successfully completed.

Reinhard Hohler, 63, is an experienced tour director and media travel consultant on the Greater Mekong Sub-region. He was born in
Karlsruhe/Germany, a port on Europe’s Rhine River. After studying geology in his hometown and ethnology, geography and political science at Heidelberg University, Reinhard Hohler moved to Thailand and lives in Chiang Mai since 1987.

Venue: Central Plaza in Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand

For further information, contact Guy Heidelberger: chiangrai@alliance-francaise.or.th