Previous   Next
Home » Images » 0011 Pictures From History » CPA0005291

Burma/ Myanmar: The hamlet of Yong, situated at a picturesque confluence of the Mekong River, as illustrated by French expeditioner Louis Delaporte in July 1867.

Burma/ Myanmar: The hamlet of Yong, situated at a picturesque confluence of the Mekong River, as illustrated by French expeditioner Louis Delaporte in July 1867.

The River Mekong is the world's 12th-longest river. From its Himalayan source on the Tibetan plateau, it flows some 4,350 km (2,703 miles) through China's Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, finally draining in the South China Sea. The recent construction of hydroelectric dams on the river and its tributaries has reduced the water flow dramatically during the dry season in Southeast Asia. This illustration was one of dozens produced by Louis Delaporte during a two-year venture (1866-68) with the Mekong Exploration Commission, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina.

Quick links to other images in this gallery: