Cultures of ASEAN Countries

Lecturer: Phan Thi Toan – 097.362.8970

toanphan.felte@gmail.com

W8, W11 & W14 (possible self-study)

8h55’ mark late

9h15’ mark off
Presentation: 25’ (5’ each) + 10’ Q&A (punished if longer)
Must haves: Quiz (10-15 questions)
SOUTHEAST ASIA
A Strategic Location
Malacca Strait: Connects East Sea – Indian Ocean  connect East Asia – Western Europe
and Africa  SEA = a bridge connecting the East and the West.
Seafaring (8-9,000 years ago), ancient ship building technique reached peak (the 5 th BCE),
maritime trade started to dev in the 2nd century & Western: missionaries.

The SEA Countries: Indochina Peninsula + Malaysia Peninsula

Mainland: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar
Insula: Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines

Physical Geography of SEA

Physical Features: Mountain chains and valleys + Archipelago
Mountains
- Parallel mountain ranges:
 ArakanYoma Range in western Myanmar
 Bilauktaung Range along the border between Myanmar and Thailand

Rivers: Major mainland rivers: Red (Gulf of Tonkin), Mekong, Irrawaddy (Myanmar), Chao
Phraya (Thailand), etc.

Energy: Geothermal: Coal, Oil, Natural Gas, etc. + Renewable energy: Solar, Wind, Biomass,
Geothermal, Hydropower

Fossil Fuel: Oil (Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia), Natural Gas (Malaysia), Coal (Indonesia,
Vietnam, the Philippines)

Natural Resources
Mineral & Gems:
  Minerals: nickel, iron (Indonesia), copper (the Philippines), tin (Thailand, Laos,
Indonesia, Malaysia), etc.
 Gems: rubies (Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam), pearl (the Philippines), etc.

Flora and Fauna:

 Tropical forests: medical plants, spices, etc.
 Industrial plants: rubber, coconut, palm, etc.
 Rice: two of the leading countries in rice exporting
 Rare animals: elephants, rhinos, etc.

Climate & Vegetation

Dominant climate = Tropical rain forest: hot & humid all year round (SEA – highest
humidity in the world)
 Tropical savannah climate: alternate wet & dry season
 Humid subtropical climate: a cold winter

Discussion: What advantages and disadvantages do Southeast Asia's natural conditions

bring to the area?
• Economy: Agriculture, Trade/
• Livelihood
• Diversity of plants & animals – Biodiversity

Human & Cultural Geography of SEA

Population
Population: 663,774,202 (2019)

Major ethnic groups: Malays (Brunei, Malaysia), Khmer (Cambodia), Javanese, Sundanese
(Indo), Burmans (Myanmar), Lao (Laos), Chinese (Singapore), Thai (Thailand), Christian
Filipinos – Tagalog (Philippines), Kinh (Vietnam)
History & Government
Early civilization:
Indigenous – have inhabited SEA for 10 thousands of years – all belong to the Indonesien
race (= Tibetan Mongoloid + local Melanesien)

Materials: water rice cultivation, cattle herding, advanced metal work, masterful boat skills

Society: significant role of women – matriarchal system, society around the irrigation
system for water rice cultivation

Legends: binary system: mountain vs. ocean; bird vs. sea creatures; highland vs. lowland:
etc.

Religion: animism – everything has spirits; ancestor worshipping; worshipping of Mother

Earth, sacred places built on high grounds; etc.

Language: Monosyllabic system

 SEA has created a distinctive indigenous culture rooted in the area.

Kingdoms & Empires

Pre-governments formed for: coalition of tribes to control nature, coalition of tribes to
fight against North Invader  strong roots in trading between SEA and India

FUNAN (1st -7th century)

- Located in the Mekong Delta of South Cambodia and South Vietnam
- Encouraged by the dev of new trade routes (India - China)
- Oc Eo – a major Funan port ~ a powerful trading kingdom
- Indian & China influence multicultural & multiethnic of Funan
CHAMPA (4th – 17th century)
- Founded in the 6th century under the Gangaragia Dynasty, weakened by the 9th
century but didn’t disappear
- Heavily influenced by the Indian culture: religion, social class system
- Remains of My Son Holyland

KHMER CIVILIZATION (9th – 15th century)

- Covered today’s Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Southern Vietnam
- The roots of power: a right political doctrine, an intelligent irrigation system –
control the Mekong delta
- Several war with the Chams and the Vietnamese
- Declined and collapsed with the great Thai migration (12th -14th)
- Khmer Kingdom: Angkor Wat: microcosm of the Hindu universe & the world’s
largest religious complex – great builders: monumental temples, huge reservoirs,
canals, extensive road network with bridges
- Khmer king: Jayavarman VII (1181 - 1215)
- Angkor Thom complex
- The Khmer: festive people, with celebrations all year round: wrestling, dancing

SRIVIJAYA EMPIRE (7th – 14th century?)

- Among the great trading empires in history
- Based on the Indonesia island of Sumatra
- Ranked among the wealthiest and most splendid, prospering from the Indian Ocean
trade by controlling the Malacca strait
- Serving as SEA’s entrepot (port city), reaching high level ship building skill
- Influence heavily by India – Buddhism

Cultures & Lifestyle

Eastern Influences on ASEAN Countries
Buddhism (6th century BCE - present)
Definition: Buddhism is a non-theistic religion
The life of Buddha: Siddhartha Gautama did indeed exist and that his disciples preserved
the memory of his life and teaching.
Branches of Buddhism:
- Mahayana (Great Way)
- Theravada (the school of the older)
- Vajrayana Buddhism (the way of Diamond)

Buddha’s Teaching
- Nirvana: the soul reunites to its pure and stop wandering in incarnations and karma
- The Supreme Power that controls the universe has no form or name
- Strong characters are built by doing goods
- The Four Noble Truth:
o Suffering is common
o Cause of suffering: Self, Greed, Desires, and Ignorance
o End of Suffering: Renunciation of greed and ignorance
o Path to end the suffering: Correct way of living and following the 8-fold
paths of life
- The five percepts of life: no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying, no
intoxicants. - KARMA
- Death is not the end of life

Intrusion & Spreading: after the born of Buddhism about a thousand year

Confucianism
Definition: is an ethical and philosophistical system, developing the Chinese
philosopher Confucius, and concern with the principles of good conduct, practical
wisdom, and proper social relationship.
Origin: K’ung Fu Tzu (551 – 479 BC)

Vietnam (through colonization) & Singapore Influence (about 18th):

- In accordance with Universal Harmony
- People as the root of the nation
- Family is the basic unity: values are fundamental, filial piety – respect for elderly

Hinduism
- The oldest and the 3rd largest religion in the world
- A polytheistic religion with many beliefs
- A way of life – religion for peace
- Holy book: The Vedas

Main gods/goddesses of Hinduism

- Brahma: The Creator
- Devi (goddess)
- Shiva
- Vishnu: The Protector

Origin:
- The Sindhu River (Indus)
- No beginning, no founder (beyond record history) – 3000 BCE

Intrusion and spreading

To SEA: trading, immigrants,…
- 1st century AD: Indian traders established marketing center centers on their routes
 brought along priest
- 320-550 AD: Gupta period – peak of Hinduism
- 5th -14th century: state religion for various SEA states
Culture
- Architecture: Angkor War in Cambodia, Sri Mariamman Temple in Singapore
- Practice: Vegetarianism; Tamil, Hindu New Year

Beliefs and Values: Karma: actions or deeds affects one’s life and good fortune

Islam
- The 2nd largest religion in the world - Allah
- A monotheistic religion
- There is only one holy book: The Qur’an (sacred text)
- Islam – peace

Origin: Founded on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (creator) as an expression of

surrender to the will of Allah

Intrusion & Spreading:

- Through trade, Sufis (missionaries syncretizing Islamic ideas with existing local
beliefs and religious notions), The ruling class embracing Islam
- Mecca – the holy land

Influence
Architecture: mosque
Practice: Women wearing “tudung” (hijab) over their head
Beliefs and Values:
- Most Muslims in SEA are Sunni
- Absorbed by a number of local beliefs, customs, and traditions that pre-date the
arrival of Islam
- The five pillars of Islam: Profession of faith (shahada), prayer (salat), alms (zakat),
fasting (sawm), pilgrimage (hajj)
Eastern Influences on ASEAN Countries
Imperial
Definition: The seizure (takeover) of a country or territory by a stronger country

Cause:
- Political Rivalries: 1800s – European explored the world
- Desire for New Markets: Industrial Revolution  increasing productivity 
increasing demands of materials
- Seeking New Opportunities: People migrate for gold/ run the colonies
- “Civilizing” Mission: European – other peoples “uncivilized” or “backward”,
spreading & imposing culture, technologies, and religion

Categories
- Colony: Governed by a foreign power
- Protectorate: Govern itself but under outside control
- Sphere of Influence: Outside powers controls investments & trading
- Economic Imperialism: Private business interests assert control

Effects
- Cultural effect: school, hospitals, churches; Lost confident in native culture
- Political effect: New law and forms of governments, Set country border,
Nationalism, Country birder disregarding factors
 - Economic effect: New infrastructure for transportation/ urban areas, Benefits for
colonizing countries: Industrial plants, Local people: paying taxes, suffering from
poor working condition
Imperial in Southeast Asia
- Westerners’ desire to control China & India route
- SEA potential of raw materials

- 1500s, Europeans: trading in SEA

- Sphere of influence
- Colonies

- 1900s: Western holdings: SEA divided by Western influence

 Both positive & negative effects

French Colony: Indochina

Origin
- Active since 17th century:
+ Help the Nguyen dynasty rise to power in Vietnam
+ 1840s: 7 French missionaries killed
- Church leaders and capitalists: Desire more influence and markets in Southeast Asia
- France governed
+ Cochin China (southern Vietnam)
+ Northern Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos
- Indochina: 50% larger than the mother country

Nationalism: Resistance to French Colonization

- Late 19th century – 20th century: Confucianism scholars: Phan Dinh Phung, Phan
Boi Chau,…
- 20th century: Vietnam communism: Viet Minh, Ho Chi Minh
 - 1954: Dien Bien Phu battle: marking the end of French colonization on Indochina
peninsula

Legacy in Vietnam
- Religion: Christianity (16-17th cent.)
- Language: Latin alphabet: Quoc Ngu (16-17th cent.)
- Architecture: city planning, remaining budlings
- Cuisine: asparagus, white potatoes, and breads

Legacy in Laos
- Cuisine: croissant, café au lait, baguette & pate
- Architecture

Legacy in Cambodia
- Architecture
- Fashion & Music
- Cuisine
- Sport

British Colony: Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia

Origin: Economic - Trade
Nationalism:
- Myanmar: Religious revivalism of Buddhist monks
- Malaysia

Legacy in Malaysia
- Negative: Demographic – Racial Divide
- Positive: Infrastructure – transport, architecture

Legacy in Singapore: “Founding fathers” of Singapore – Sir Thomas Raffles (arrived in

1819)
Legacy in Myanmar:
- Architecture
- Graveyards there for all the British young men

Islands of Southeast Asia

Origin: Main motive: Economic
- Dutch East India Company controlled all of the Indonesian archipelago
- Called Dutch East Indies
- Rich in oil, tin, and rubber plantation

Nationalism: Movement against the Dutch colonialism in Indonesia

Legacy in Indonesia
- Culture: Language, Religion, Architecture
- Economics: Irrigation systems
- Cuisine: gado-gado, bami goring

Spain & American colonization: The Philippines

Origins: The Philippines Change Hands
- In the 1500s, Spain
- Emilio Aguinaldo led rebellion – declare independence from Spain
- The war end: American imperialists: join the European competition for territory
– attacked & took over Philippines

Nationalism: Against America

- A guerrilla: “Philippines War of Independence” continued for 2 years and ended
when Aguinaldo was captured

Legacy:
- Spanish Legacy: Language – borrowing words (20% of Tagalog from Spanish),
Catholicism – the only Asia’s Catholic country, Education – Church-run schools, 1st
university Santo Tomas (1611), Name – Last name, capital city and country name,
Cuisine
- American Legacy: Religious Freedom, Free Education – Thomasites, English
language - Taglish