This course explores new ways of understanding the history of Southwest China and mainland Southeast Asia (SEA), 8th–19th centuries. In the past, Southwest China, particularly Yunnan, has been conceptualised as an area both remote from the Chinese political centre and isolated from the outside world, but an analysis of historical data concerning the formation of kingdoms and polities, trade routes, and the movement of people offers a different interpretation. It demonstrates that far from being isolated, the two areas overlap, and in reality are bonded by political, cultural and ethnic ties. Analysis of historical data provides a vibrant perspective for understanding Southwest China, not as an area at the margins of Chinese and SEA history, but as a vital link in a chain that connects SEA with the worlds of China and Tibet. Emphasis on interconnection highlights a fundamental relationship between both regions, and offers students a framework for understanding the increased presence of China in mainland SEA in recent years.