Situated south of China, east of India and north of Australia, Southeast Asia finds itself in between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There are many countries in the peninsula and islands, including Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia,Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and etc. Taiwan and south China are on its fringe and, in a loose definition, a part of this region.

Southeast Asia consists of mountains, hills, valleys, coasts, islands and other geographical features. Its tropical climate results in high temperature and rainfall. Agricultural activities include hunting, slash and burn and irrigated farming. It is highly diverse in terms of ethnicities, with hundreds of languages in use. Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, Hinduism and Taoism all have a great number of adherents there.

The indigenous peoples there possess a rich artistic heritage. Furthermore, in contacts with China and India, the area became a crossroad of civilizations. Comparatively recently,Muslim and Western cultures have found their ways there. This area has long been a kaleidoscope of cultures.