South East Asia travel guide

But this area has been the subject of complex political and military struggles, and the name Indochina bears witness to these. The name has its origin in the French colonisation of the region from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. A ‘colonial protectorate federation’ - in other words an empire, second only in size to the British Empire - was formed in 1887, made up of territories seized by the French: Cambodia, Laos, and what is now modern Vietnam.

This federation was known as French Indochina - or “Indochine”, in French - a combination of India and China, acknowledging the proximity of these two countries and the significant cultural influence they had on the countries in question. At one time, French Indochina had its capital in Hanoi, in which, in common with many cities in the Indochina region, French colonial architecture continues to be a prominent feature.

Indochina’s geographical boundaries were intimately linked with features on the ground, notably the Mekong River, which runs through all three countries. At the time of French rule, Vietnam was divided into three regions, all individual French protectorates: Tonkin in the north, Cochinchina in the south, and Annam in the middle.

The French Indochina federation didn’t last long: in the years during and following the Second World War, the area experienced massive political upheaval and devastation, the history of which is very complex. Suffice is to say that, after years of conflict known as the First Indochina War (led by Ho Chi Minh, whose name was adopted to rename Saigon), Vietnam finally shook off French rule for good in 1954, when the Geneva Accord took place to try to establish peace in the region. France formally withdrew, and the three Indochina countries became independent though Vietnam was divided into the Communist North and anti-Communist south: this split being the precursor to the Vietnam War, which began not long after.

Although the term ‘Indochina’ is still used to refer to these three countries - all former constituent parts of French Indochina - it’s now used less often, overtaken by the more general term ‘Southeast Asia’, which also encompasses other countries in the area, such as Burma and Thailand. Nevertheless, it’s a term well suited to the growing tourist interest in these three countries as a collective trip.