The French Legacy
Until the mid-19th century, Colonial interest in Cambodia
and Laos was minimal, mainly consisting of sporadic forays by Catholic
missionaries in search of conversions. However, continued aggression by Thailand and Vietnam caused King Norodom of Cambodia to
invite the French to establish a protectorate in 1863, who eventually made it
into a French colony. Laos, too, was steadily absorbed into Indochina. Although
the French withdrew from the region in 1954, their legacy remains in the
boulevards and Neo-Classical buildings of Phnom Penh, and in the streets of
Laos, where coffee is served as café au lait.
FRENCH CUISINE
The French culinary influence is most evident in popular
snacks such as baguettes and croissants. Locals usually eat them for breakfast
or as a quick bite, often with a thick layer of pâté, or luncheon meat, and
some sliced salad, vegetables, or pickles. Phnom Penh, Vientiane, and other
tourist centers have trendy French restaurants, bistros, and brasseries where
the partaking of
apéritifs, digestifs, and classic French wine continues
to thrive.
ECONOMY
French Colonialists concentrated on exploiting the rich
natural resources of the region with timber,
rubber, corn, and rice being the main items of export.
They were also responsible for installing the first roads, railway line, and
rubber plantations. Apart from imposing a more efficient taxa-
tion system, the French did little to transform the
village-based economies of these countries.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
French heritage also lingers in the language and culture
of these countries. There are French-language schools in all major cities and
private institutions offer classes in French.
French-language newspapers such as Le Rénovateur and
Cambodge Nouveau are still popular, and establishments such as the Centre
Culturel Français (CCF) continue to flourish. In the field of sports, soccer,
which was first introduced by the Colonialists, continues to be the most
popular game.
FRENCH ARCHITECTURE
Perhaps the most prominent feature of the French legacy
is seen in the Neo-Classical architecture of
major towns. Although many of the once-grand buildings
are now crumbling due to neglect, fiscal
constraints, or local distaste for what they once
represented, cities such as Phnom Penh, Siem Reap,
Battambang, and Kampot have an impressive array of chic
Modernist villas, lovely old French quarters, and Colonial façades. The
National Museum Complex and the Centre Culturel Français in Luang Prabang
represent French-Lao-style architecture.
Serene riverside boulevards, such as Sisowath Quay in
Phnom Penh, lined with tall, swaying palms and other foliage, are typically
Parisian. They add to the Colonial charm of cities such as Vientiane,
Battambang, and Kampot.
Shophouses in Kampot’s French quarter, in Cambodia, are
typically Colonial. They have shuttered windows with rectan-gular transoms over
the opening, and multiple arches. Most of them, however, are now quite
dilapidated and in desperate need of repair.
