Mad about the Mekong: Exploration and Empire in South East AsiaA dramatic journey both retracing the historic voyage of France's greatest 19th-century explorer up the mysterious Mekong river and a portrait of the river and its peoples today. Any notion of sailing up the Mekong in homage to Francis Garnier has been unthinkable till now. From its delta in Vietnam up through Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma and on into China, the Mekong has been a no-go river, its turbulent waters fouled by ideological barriers as formidable as its natural obstacles. But recently the political obstacles have begun to be dismantled: river traffic is reviving. John Keay describes the world of the Mekong as it is today, rehabilitating a traumatised geography while recreating the thrilling and historic voyage of Garnier in 1866. The French expedition was intended to investigate the 'back door' into China by outflanking the British and American conduits of commerce at Hong Kong and Shanghai. |
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Contents
To the Falls | 3 |
Members of the Mekong Exploration Commission at Angkor | 11 |
Delaportes drawing of the three stupas of Phnom Krom | 44 |
Copyright | |
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Alévy Angkor Annamite Bangkok bank Bassac boatmen boats border British Burma Burmese Cambodia century Chiang Khong China colonial Commandant companions Dali Delaporte Delaporte's Delta Dongchuan Duyshart east elephants European excursion expedition expedition's fact Falls of Khon flood forest France Francis Garnier French Giant Mekong Catfish Hanoi hills Hmong Hué hundred kilometres Indo-China Island Jinghong Joubert journey Kemarat Kengtung Khmer Rouge Khon Falls king Kunming Lagrandière Lagrée Lagrée and Garnier Lagrée's Lake less Luang Prabang Mekong Exploration Commission Menam metres monsoon mountains muangs Muong Muong Sing Nam Tha navigable official opium Paklai Pavie Phnom Penh pirogues political provinces rapids rocks route Saigon says de Carné says Garnier seemed Shan south-east Asia Stung Treng Tang-ho territory Thai Thailand Thorel thousand Tibet Tonkin Tonle Sap river town trade trees tributaries troops Ubon upper Mekong upriver Vientiane Vietnam Vietnamese village Warington Smyth Xieng Yangtse Yunnan