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My Tho is today the capital of Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. It was founded in the 1680s by Chinese refugees fleeing Taiwan when General Shi Lang of the Qing Dynasty defeated the Southern Ming Dynasty in 1683. The area, at the time, was part of the Khmer kingdom and it was annexed to Vietnam in the 18th century. Due to its proximity to Saigon, My Tho was the traditional gateway to the Mekong Delta. The French capture in 1862 of My Tho is regarded as the vital step in the establishment of the French colony of Cochinchina.
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, which was sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina.
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.
Kham is a region in eastern Tibet which was considered a "special administrative district" within China until 1939, when it became an official Chinese province. The people of Kham are called ‘Khampas’ and are highly reputed warriors.
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.<br/><br/>

This illustration was one of dozens produced by Louis Delaporte during a two-year venture (1866-68) with the Mekong Exploration Commission, which was sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina.
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.<br/><br/>

Of this leg of the journey in July 1867, an expeditioner later wrote: 'One [shower] was so heavy that it soon penetrated the frail roof of leaves and they were drenched under their blankets. However, that was not the main reason for their inability to sleep: besides the legions of leeches and mosquitoes, inseparable companions of travelers in forests in this season, their stopover was infested with innumerable winged fleas that crept on to their scalps and caused the most acute itching. Early next morning, they were only too happy to move out of this horrible place and to breathe more freely on the road.'
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.
Vientiane, formerly Sri Sattanak, was razed to the ground and looted by Siamese armies in 1827. The city was left in grave disrepair and became overgrown and nearly unpopulated until the French colonists arrived and took over the region in 1893. Vientiane became the capital of the French protectorate of Laos in 1899 and was rebuilt with renovated Buddhist temples surrounded by French architecture. Vientiane remained the ‘chef-lieu’- the district capital – of French Laos until 1949.
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, which was sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina.
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.
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.<br/><br/>

This illustration was one of dozens produced by Louis Delaporte during a two-year venture (1866-68) with the Mekong Exploration Commission, which was sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina.
Faced with the unsurpassable Khone mountain range that separated the lower from the middle Mekong, the French initiated in 1893 the construction of a 160-m bridge and a 7-km railway track to transfer launches between the two stretches of river. This improved exponentially trade and transport between Laos and Cambodia.
French colonists witnessed boat races which are thought to be the forerunners of today's dragon boat and naga serpent boat racing.


Nowadays, every November, millions of Cambodians descend on Phnom Penh for the three-day Bon Om Tuk Water Festival where the highlight is the dramatic pirogue boat races, which are supposedly held to commemorate the great Angkorian period when the Khmers under King Jayavarman VII triumphed over the Chams of Champa after a prolonged naval war (1177-81).
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.
The Mekong is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,909 km (3,050 mi)  and it drains an area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi), discharging 475 km3 (114 cu mi) of water annually.<br/><br/>

From the Tibetan Plateau the Mekong runs through China's Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
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.
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.<br/><br/>

This illustration was one of dozens produced by Louis Delaporte during a two-year venture (1866-68) with the Mekong Exploration Commission, which was sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina.
Accounts of pirogue races in Indochina date back to the Angkorian period when the Khmers under King Jayavarman VII triumphed over the Chams of Champa after a prolonged naval war (1177-81). Years later, French colonists witnessed boat races which are thought to be the forerunners of today's dragon boat and naga serpent boat racing. Nowadays, every November, millions of Cambodians descend on Phnom Penh for the three-day Bon Om Tuk Water Festival where the highlight is the dramatic pirogue boat races.
The Mekong is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,909 km (3,050 mi)  and it drains an area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi), discharging 475 km3 (114 cu mi) of water annually.<br/><br/>

From the Tibetan Plateau the Mekong runs through China's Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Faced with the unsurpassable Khone mountain range that separated the lower from the middle Mekong, the French initiated in 1893 the construction of a 160-m bridge and a 7-km railway track to transfer launches between the two stretches of river. This improved exponentially trade and transport between Laos and Cambodia.
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.<br/><br/>

This illustration was one of dozens produced by Louis Delaporte during a two-year venture (1866-68) with the Mekong Exploration Commission, which was sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina.
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.
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.
My Tho is today the capital of Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. It was founded in the 1680s by Chinese refugees fleeing Taiwan when General Shi Lang of the Qing Dynasty defeated the Southern Ming Dynasty in 1683. The area, at the time, was part of the Khmer kingdom and it was annexed to Vietnam in the 18th century. Due to its proximity to Saigon, My Tho was the traditional gateway to the Mekong Delta. The French capture in 1862 of My Tho is regarded as the vital step in the establishment of the French colony of Cochinchina.
Vientiane, formerly Sri Sattanak, was razed to the ground and looted by Siamese armies in 1827. The city was left in grave disrepair and became overgrown and nearly unpopulated until the French colonists arrived and took over the region in 1893. Vientiane became the capital of the French protectorate of Laos in 1899 and was rebuilt with renovated Buddhist temples surrounded by French architecture. Vientiane remained the ‘chef-lieu’- the district capital – of French Laos until 1949.
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.<br/><br/>

This illustration was one of dozens produced by Louis Delaporte during a two-year venture (1866-68) with the Mekong Exploration Commission, which was sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina.
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, which was sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina.
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.
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.<br/><br/>

This illustration was one of dozens produced by Louis Delaporte during a two-year venture (1866-68) with the Mekong Exploration Commission, which was sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina.
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.
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, which was sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina.
Kham is a region in eastern Tibet which was considered a "special administrative district" within China until 1939, when it became an official Chinese province. The people of Kham are called ‘Khampas’ and are highly reputed warriors.
Cochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of Vietnam including Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1948. In 1864, all French territories in southern Vietnam were declared to be the new French colony of Cochinchina, which was to be governed by Admiral Jules Marie Dupré from 1868-74. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bo.
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.<br/><br/>

This illustration was one of dozens produced by Louis Delaporte during a two-year venture (1866-68) with the Mekong Exploration Commission, which was sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina.
This illustration by Louis Delaporte is one of dozens he produced during his two-year venture (1866-68) with the Mekong Exploration Commission sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina. Traveling the Mekong by boat, the small French delegation voyaged from Saigon to Phnom Penh to Luang Prabang, then farther north into the uncharted waters of Upper Laos and China's Yunnan province, before returning to Hanoi in 1868 by foot, accompanied by porters and elephants.
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.
The Mekong is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,909 km (3,050 mi)  and it drains an area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi), discharging 475 km3 (114 cu mi) of water annually.<br/><br/>

From the Tibetan Plateau the Mekong runs through China's Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The Mekong is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,909 km (3,050 mi)  and it drains an area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi), discharging 475 km3 (114 cu mi) of water annually.<br/><br/>

From the Tibetan Plateau the Mekong runs through China's Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The Mekong is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,909 km (3,050 mi)  and it drains an area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi), discharging 475 km3 (114 cu mi) of water annually.<br/><br/>

From the Tibetan Plateau the Mekong runs through China's Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The Mekong is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,909 km (3,050 mi)  and it drains an area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi), discharging 475 km3 (114 cu mi) of water annually.<br/><br/>

From the Tibetan Plateau the Mekong runs through China's Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The Tea Horse Road (Cha Ma Dao) was a network of mule caravan paths winding through the mountains of Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet in Southwest China. It is also sometimes referred to as the Southern Silk Road and Ancient Tea Horse Road. From around a thousand years ago, the Ancient Tea Route was a trade link from Yunnan, one of the first tea-producing regions, to India via Burma, to Tibet, and to central China via Sichuan Province.<br/><br/>

In addition to tea, the mule caravans carried salt. It is believed that it was through this trading network that tea (typically tea bricks) first spread across China and Asia from its presumed origins in Pu'er county, near Simao Prefecture in Yunnan.
The Tea Horse Road (Cha Ma Dao) was a network of mule caravan paths winding through the mountains of Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet in Southwest China. It is also sometimes referred to as the Southern Silk Road and Ancient Tea Horse Road. From around a thousand years ago, the Ancient Tea Route was a trade link from Yunnan, one of the first tea-producing regions, to India via Burma, to Tibet, and to central China via Sichuan Province.<br/><br/>

In addition to tea, the mule caravans carried salt. It is believed that it was through this trading network that tea (typically tea bricks) first spread across China and Asia from its presumed origins in Pu'er county, near Simao Prefecture in Yunnan.
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.