Author Archive
Cambodia
Brian Hennessy. Cambodia. December, 2010 Cambodia. A place of smiles, Angkor Wat temples, and killing fields. The smiles are genuine, a reflection of natural Cambodian courtesy and honour; the temples are a cultural wonder of the world; and the killing fields a reminder of the dark side of humanity. Given certain conditions genocide can happen […]
Laos
Brian Hennessy. Laos. October, 2010 Laos. Once a forgotten remnant of the old French empire, later an impotent neighbour as North Vietnam poured troops through its eastern provinces along the Ho Chi Minh Trail into South Vietnam. As a result of this trespass, the US Air Force dropped more bombs on this thin slice of […]
On understanding the local environment
Brian Hennessy. China Australia Consult. October, 2010 China is an ancient, complex, and culturally strong society with its own ways of doing things. Ways which are sometimes difficult for a foreigner to understand. A lot of unnecessary frustration can be avoided if things are put in their historical and cultural context. On understanding the local […]
Will the real China please stand up
Brian Hennessy. An Australian in China. September, 2010 On September 23, 2010, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao addressed the United Nations General Assembly. Premier Wen said that China was a peace-loving nation and a responsible member of the international community. He pledged that China would firmly take the road of peaceful development. He also advised the […]
Kangding
Brian Hennessy. An Australian in China. 2007, 2008, and 2011 Kangding was once a trading town and cultural buffer on the old border between China and Tibet. When China annexed the eastern one-third of the Tibetan Plateau, this town became part of western Sichuan province. Today it remains a staging post for the long and […]
Litang
Brian Hennessy. An Australian in China. 2006, 2007, 2008, & 2010 At 4200 metres, Litang is the heart of Khamba culture in the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau. The centre of the old kingdom of Kham. The inhabitants, although Tibetan, have their own character and history. They are a wild, proud lot. Noted for their […]
Langzhong
Brian Hennessy. An Australian in China. 2009, 2010, 2011 This 2,300 year old city is the genuine article. Located in the northeast of Sichuan Province in southwest China, Langzhong is a living example of how civilised life could be in ancient China. Unfortunately, it can’t be included in any packaged tour requiring major airports or […]
Watching China
Brian Hennessy. An Australian in China. August, 2010 Recently, a two-star Chinese General, Liu Yazhou, warned the Communist Party and his People’s Liberation Army colleagues that, “China must either embrace US-style democracy or accept Soviet-style collapse.” He continued: ”If a system fails to let its citizens breathe freely and release their creativity to the maximum extent, and […]
Yangtze River in flood
Brian Hennessy. China Australia Consult. July, 2010 The mighty Yangtze River is in flood. The worst rains in over 10 years have sent torrents of water rushing down a 6300 kilometre journey from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to Shanghai on the coast. Throughout history, these seasonal floods have been something to fear in the Yangtze River […]
DPRK: mixing sport and politics
Brian Hennessy, An Australian in China. June, 2010 Despite their government’s public expressions of fraternity towards the dangerously troublesome Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), these days Chinese people are more switched-on to the reality of life in the Hermit Kingdom. It is perhaps an uncomfortable reminder of what life used to be like in […]