"Hoi An", 2018 (Photo: Wannapong Surarochprajak – Thailand)

B: He wrote: “I always enjoy listening to the Voice of Vietnam, the news is insightful and informative and I also greatly enjoy the cultural and musical programs. It is a lot of fun to learn about distant countries. Thank you for maintaining such a wonderful radio program! I used to regularly listen to your broadcasts to North America on 7315 kHz. However, they abruptly stopped in 2020 and have not returned. Will shortwave broadcasts to North America ever resume or are they permanently discontinued?”

A: Thank you, Mr. John Jurasek, very much for your detailed report. We’re sorry that we’re not planning to resume shortwave broadcast to North America at the moment but boost our broadcasts on digital platforms instead. Please keep listening to us on online platforms at our website vovworld.vn and VOV Media and VOV Live apps which are available both on Android and IOS.

B: This week, Shivendu Paul of the Metali Listeners’ Club of India sent us reception reports for VOV programs on November 18,19,20,24, and 25 on the frequency of 7220 kHz from 1600-1630 UTC. He asked about the use of Artificial Intelligence in Vietnam’s agriculture, transport-trafficking systems, education, and other sectors.

A: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Vietnam is developing rapidly and gradually becoming a pillar in breakthrough technology in the fourth industrial revolution. Technological powers have long built their own AI development strategies, using this as the core for accelerating economic development.

B: Over the last few years, more organizations have started developing and applying AI to various fields including education, telecommunications, retail, healthcare, and others, which have not only gradually dominated the market but also earned huge profits.

A: At the same time, Vietnam’s AI industry has made visible strides by increasing AI content in various products. Large domestic technology corporations are interested in investing in and building AI sources in addition to implementing AI projects. Many domestic companies as well as innovative start-ups also tend to invest in AI and apply new applications to modern business models.

B: International technology corporations and the world’s leading AI companies have opened branches in Vietnam to take advantage of well-trained employees to make products for their markets.

A: Notably, there are quite a few Vietnamese people who are conducting AI research and applications abroad, including excellent AI experts in developed countries. Vietnam has a goal of being listed in Top 4 in ASEAN and Top 50 in the world for artificial intelligence (AI) research, development, and application by 2030.

B: By 2030, Vietnam will become a centre for innovation and development of AI solutions and applications in the Southeast Asian region and the world. The country aims to build 10 AI brands of high prestige in the region, develop three national centres on big data and high performance computing, and connect big data and high performance computing centres nationwide into a network and form 50 open datasets in all socio-economic fields to better serve AI research, development and application.

A: In the past time, Vietnam technology corporations such as FPT, Bkav, Vingroup, Viettel, VNPT and CMS Telecom have invested big in AI as well as applied the technology into their business, contributing to the nation’s digitization process.

B: The country is fine-tuning legal documents and creating a legal framework regarding AI, as well as promoting international cooperation in the field. Vietnam is paying particular attention to human resources training and building databases that are synchronous with computing infrastructure.

A: Since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out nearly two years ago, the application of AI within the healthcare system has been incredibly helpful. AI has helped ease burdens on medical workers and anti-pandemic forces through tracing apps and epidemiological maps.

B: Howard Barnet of England listened to our broadcast on November 28. He wrote: “In the early hours of Sunday morning,  from 0033 GMT/UTC to be precise, I tuned into your radio station via the internet, and I heard you with excellent reception SINPO 55555. What I heard was an English program of pop music, ‘Classics On The Air’ featuring Brahms Symphony No. 4 in three movements. It was followed by an announcement in English introducing a program about Vietnamese pagodas in and around Hanoi. It was followed  by a Vietnamese song. The program about pagodas continued, and this was followed by some songs in English about Christmas. One of the artists was Michael Buble.”

A: Thank you, Mr. Barnet, for your reception report. As we mentioned earlier, VOV is now reducing shortwave broadcasting time and increasing digital content. We hope to receive more letters from you.

B: This week, VOVWorld received more than 370 letters and emails from listeners around the world. In their letters, many listeners asked about Vietnam’s plan to promote its golf courses and golf tourism.

A: In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, golf tourism with its low contact and high level of safety is expected to draw high-spending foreign tourists to Vietnam.

B: In recent years, the number of golf tourists had been increasing and golf tourism contributed a substantial number to the record 18 million foreign visitors to Vietnam in 2019.

The Bluffs golf course at the Ho Tram resort in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province (Photo: golftripz.com)

A: Vietnam has a lot of potential for golf tourism growth.  It currently has about 100 golf courses in operation, of which 32 meet international 5-star standards and are located along the coastline adjacent to luxury resorts.

B: In the past two years, despite the severe impacts of the pandemic on tourism, several new golf courses have been opened in Quang Ninh and Vinh Phuc in northern Vietnam, and Ha Tinh and Binh Thuan in the central region. Of 204 South Korean visitors who came to Phu Quoc Island last weekend, 30 were golfers.

A: Vietnam plans to organize a number of tournaments for domestic golfers. Vietnam was named the World's Best Golf Destination in 2021 at the eighth annual World Golf Awards. It was the second time Vietnam has won the title.

B: Golf in Vietnam is evolving at a rapid pace and exceptional new courses are added regularly. The target clientele for these courses varies by location. While the golf scene in Hanoi and HCM City continues to attract both expats and locals, other locations are focused more on tourists. Vietnam’s stunning natural landscape combined with the imagination of the world’s best designers has produced some sensational courses. Let’s talk about some of the top golf courses in Vietnam.

A: The Bluffs golf course at the Ho Tram resort in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province is a 2-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City. The Greg Norman-designed Bluffs is a celebration of the sand dunes that characterize Vietnam’s coastline. The course winds through and around the dunes, some of which rise as high as 50 metres. The resulting layout is undulating with plenty of elevation changed. The coastal winds change in intensity and direction all the time creating a different golf experience each time out. A bonus is stunning views of the sea from almost every hole.

Hoiana Shores golf course, Da Nang (Photo: golftripz.com)

B: The global reputation of golf in Vietnam is strongly linked to the quality of golf courses in Danang. Danang, along with neighboring Hoi An and Lang Co has emerged as Vietnam’s premier golf destination, with six world-class layouts. The newest of these six, the Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed Hoiana Shores creates a new high bar for Vietnamese golf.

A: The course is visually stunning and beautifully harmonized with the beach and the sea. Golfers can find challenges to match their ability along a course that meanders over undulating dunes. With the sea-breezes always a factor, the course can change nature quickly. These features combine to deliver a links-style golf experience but in a tropical country.

KN Golf Links, Cam Ranh (Photo:  golftripz.com)

B: Another great example of the quality of Vietnamese golf is the Greg Norman-designed KN Golf  Links. Here again, much like the Bluffs, Norman has made use of the naturally undulating dunes. The tees are beautifully placed, giving a perfect visual of the hole in front while delivering stunning sweeping vistas. The course condition is immaculate, with fairways seamlessly merging into the sandy wastes and bunkers.

A: The expansive and undulating greens create plenty of excitement. The KN Golf Links may well be the No 1 reason that Nha Trang has become a world-class golf destination, but there are 2 other golf courses in Nha Trang well worth a visit –  Vinpearl with its stunning sea views and the Andy Dye-designed Diamond Bay.

Van Tri golf course, Hanoi (Photo: golftripz.com)

B: Van Tri in Hanoi, is one of the most exclusive golf clubs in Vietnam, with restricted, but not impossible access. The golf course designed by Peter Rousseau, is built on relatively flat land, but water is almost always in play. The combination of water and some clever dog-legs in the design constitute the key challenges on this course. Given the fairly exclusive nature of the club, the course remains in tip-top condition all the time.

FLC mountain course, Quy Nhon (Photo: golftripz.com)

A: Situated  between Nha Trang and Da Nang but with only a fraction of the tourists of either,  Quy Nhon is yet another coastal golf delight. It’s hard to say which is the better of courses – the Nicklaus-designed Ocean Course or the Schmidt-Curley Mountain Course.

A: Thank you all for your feedback. We always welcome your letters at English Service, VOVWorld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.vn.

B: You can also leave your comments on our website at www.vovworld.vn or on our Facebook fanpage at VOV5 English Service. Thank you all. Stay safe and healthy. Goodbye!