Economy of Vietnam
Until the French colonization in the mid-19th century, Vietnam's economy had been mostly agrarian, subsistence-based and village-oriented. French colonizers, however, deliberately developed the regions differently as the French needed raw materials and a market for French manufactured goods, designating the South for agricultural production as it was better suited for agriculture, and the North for manufacturing as it was naturally wealthy in mineral resources. Though the plan exaggerated regional divisions, the development of exports—coal from the North, rice from the South—and the importation of French manufactured goods stimulated domestic commerce.
Coloniality of gender
In the year 1893-1907, the French had colonized Laos along with Vietnam and Cambodia incorporating into French Cochin China. During the colonisation, the country is popular among French colonials by the interest of accommodating by Lao women or Annamite mistresses. The French did not want to live in traditional Lao way and look at Lao women as temporary wives, they expect Lao women to adapted to European style and European architectural. In addition, most women and girls are serve as servant or mistress.