These are some of the visible traces of the French colonial architecture in our Ex-Indochina.
The string of traditional wooden houses, the richly decorated stone temples, the brick buildings with balconies and wooden windows that remind the old Parisian houses on the streets of Luang Prabang, Laos. In the center of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, tree-lined avenues in quiet old neighborhoods are formed in the form of avenues in French cities. These are some of the visible traces of the French colonial architecture in our Ex-Indochina.
1. The history of Indochina
French Indochina was officially founded in 1887 and made up of three regions of Vietnam: Cocincina (South Vietnam), Annam (Central Vietnam) and Tonkin (North Vietnam), Cambodia and Laos (since 1891). The three countries remained under French rule until 1945. Then at the end of the Second World War, the Viet Minh in Vietnam started a revolt that became the first Indochina war. The war ended with the battle of Dien Bien Phu, therefore the independence of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia was declared in 1954.
Currently, the representations of the war stories partly unveil via books and museums. Nonetheless, another less gloomy and more romantic aspect of this still albeit subtle in daily life - its French impact on architecture.
2. Hanoi - a Little Paris
It is strongly recommended that you should not lose out on the occasion to contemplate the most fantastic French Colonial architecture in Hanoi. The Old Quarter with some of the most stunning architectural legacies from the colonial period. Typically, Vietnam’s capital is commonly known for Hanoi Opera House, a replica of Palais Garnier, the oldest opera house in Paris, or St. Joseph’s Cathedral with the neo-Gothic style, reminiscent of the Notre Dame de Paris. Furthermore, although they are strongly inspired by French design, most buildings especially, structures at the end of the period, have successfully included Asian details like pointed roofs with traditional tiles or wooden decorations, creating a hybrid style called Norman Pagoda. This style borrows elements normally in Vietnamese temples and pagodas. Aesthetically unique, such style is also considered functionally practical and adapts well to the heat and humidity of the tropical summer of Hanoi.
3. French colonial architecture in Laos
The most striking example of an exceptional fusion of Asian tradition with western style in architecture might be vividly found in the Royal Palace Museum. Historically, it was the Residence of the Laotian royal family, in Luang Prabang. Built from brick with columns and pediments influenced by Beaux-Arts but the building still retains typical Laos architectural style in its roof, spire, and decorations. Other colonial houses, simpler, line up on the main road, creating a charming character that makes Luang Prabang unique in Southeast Asia.
Unlike Luang Prabang, in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, the French heritage is not much visible. However, there are still a number of houses built in the French colonial architecture that visitors are likely to contemplate, especially on Lang Xang Avenue, a so-called “Champs-Elysées” in Vientiane. At the end of this street, you certainly seek Patuxai, a replica of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, somehow it is completely decorated with the motifs of the Laotian culture.
4. French architecture in Cambodia
Phnom Penh in Cambodia also maintains plenty of beautiful French colonial architecture, especially in the center of the city. Some of them require immediate restoration, and some have been successfully preserved such as the general post office, the UNESCO office or the Raffles Le Royal hotel. Villas galore with colonial architecture exist in poor condition in Battambang, Kampot, Kep.
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Those days, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are dynamic developing countries. Many buildings, large and small, are erected every year, contributing to change the face of the bustling metropolis, but the colonial heritage in architecture still plays an indispensable and intriguing part of many cities, reflecting a crucial period in the history of the three countries of the former Indochina.