French Indochina: Vietnam

The key to understanding Indochina is
Vietnam. Vietnam is an important part of the Indochina region. It is a long, thin, S-shaped country running for 2000 km between China and the Gulf of Tonkin in the north, to the South China Sea in the south; and Laos and Cambodia in the west. It was in this very place that the Indochinese nationalism and the struggle for independence from European colonial powers such as the French originated from and was largely led as well.

Vietnam: a long, thin, S-shaped country

Prior to the French colonialism, early before they were colonised by the French, Vietnam came under the Chinese rule. Hence, Vietnam was heavily dominated by the ideology of Confucianism and Taoism. These beliefs were ideally meant to formalise bonds of obedience and obligations towards the state, family and society. These were also seen as a way of life and a guiding principle toward a harmonious country. The good impacts of Confucianism on the Vietnamese could be seen through the loyalty and selflessness whilst defending themselves during the times of the French colonialism.

Why did France choose Vietnam to be one of its colonies?

At that time, France faced stiff competition against other great European powers like Germany and Russia for economic and military superiority. Thus, to secure more strategic geographic positions to promote and improve France's international trade and capitalism, France decided to colonise Vietnam.

Secondly, Vietnam could not decide on what was best for the her country, whether to be isolated from the world by abiding strictly to Confucianism or to begin modernizing.

Thirdly, due to the lack of military technology to resist the new western invaders, Vietnamese leaders were left with no choice but to sign treaties with France.

Fourthly, Vietnam was seen to have the capacity to feed millions of beyond its population. Its agricultural potential sparked great interest in many European countries to want to colonise them.

Lastly, it was seen as the 'White Man's Burden' by the French that they bring about civilisation to the inferiors of SEA.

Hence, this led to Napoleon III's order for his navy to invade Vietnam on July 1857.

So what happened when the French left Vietnam?

Vietnam was divided at the seventeenth parallel into North Vietnam(communist) and South Vietnam(democratic), kudos to French colonisation. Many people living in the North did not wish to live under the Communist regime and some, mainly highly notable intellectuals as well as Catholics, fled to the South to seek a better life. Besides the better and more well off people fleeing to South Vietnam, there were also peasants who did all they could to flee from the rule of communists who disrupted the traditional lives of the people.

The splitting of Vietnam

Since being under the 'rule' of Confucianism, the Vietnamese had a high respect for education. It was essential to be well-educated in order to be able to climb to the top and hold high posts in office. Being under the French rule certainly did not change this Vietnamese mindset at all. However, a western system of modern education begin to develop in Vietnam. Despite the lack of teachers and teaching resources, Vietnamese schools made sure that the students were well-versed in Vietnamese history, language and literature.

Also, Roman Catholicism began to be propagate widely in Vietnamese society. Most of the French who settled in Vietnam were concentrated around the Cochinchina area. Hence, when I passed by Saigon, which is one of the principle cities in Vietnam, it caught my attention that there were many Catholic churches around. Many of the Vietnamese, who once believed in Confucianism, have been converted into Roman Catholics. However, there are still temples that can be found in Vietnam.

Notre Dame Church, Saigon

The ornate, pretty in pink, Tan Dinh Church, Saigon

A temple close to Dalat in the Vietnamese Highlands decorated with broken porcelain, old bottles, etc. "When there is a will, there a way."

Between 1954 and the 1960s after the French colonialism, South Vietnam began to receive a lot of monetary and humanitarian aid from United States of America. Of course, this was a part of USA's plan to limit the communists' influence in North Vietnam, with efforts to refrain this influence from spreading to South Vietnam. USA encouraged South Vietnam to develop economically, and at the same time urged countless social and political reforms. To put it simply, South Vietnam was definitely benefiting way more from the aftermath of French colonisation than North Vietnam was.

The French colonialism also led to a great economic collapse of Vietnam and the Vietnamese currency experienced a triple-digit inflation. Hence, when I was shopping around, intending to try out the Vietnamese cuisine, I almost could not keep track of how much I was spending because everything was really cheap and of course, I had to seize the opportunity! Here are some of the must-trys when you visit Vietnam:

Yummy vietnamese beef noodles, Pho

Springrolls!

Vietnamese baguettes (Yes, the baguettes that the French eat.)

Whilst walking around Vietnam, I noticed that the architectures of the building were mostly European-style administration. Even the house in which the president of Vietnam resides in showed great influences from the European culture and architecture. This is probably the residual effect that the French colonisation had on the Vietnamese people, even after losing their colonial powers they had in Vietnam.