Sip Song Chau Tai
The Sip Song Chau Tai ("Twelve Tai cantons"; Vietnamese: Mười hai châu Thái or Mười hai xứ Thái; Thai: สิบสองจุไท or สิบสองเจ้าไท; Lao: ສິບສອງຈຸໄຕ or ສິບສອງເຈົ້າໄຕ; Chinese: 泰族十二州; Tai Dam: ꪵꪠ꪿ꪙꪒꪲꪙꪼꪕ "Tai Federation") was a confederation of Tai Dam ("Black Tai"), Tai Dón ("White Tai") and Tai Daeng ("Red Tai") chiefdoms in the mountainous north-west of today's Vietnam, dating back at least to the 17th century. It became an autonomous part of the French protectorate of Tonkin, and thereby of French Indochina, in 1889.