A: First on our show today, we’d like to welcome back Mr. Brandon Jordan of the US. In an email to VOV this week, he reported on a VOV program on February 18th on the frequency of 9840. He wrote: “I started listening to shortwave radio in 1976, and have listened to your transmissions many times over the years. I always enjoy tuning in to your transmissions. I receive an excellent signal from this transmitter. My receiver is a WindRadio and I use a Wellbrook ALA 100 active loop antenna mounted in my yard.”
B: Thank you, Mr. Jordan, for your report. It has been such a long time since we last heard from you. We hope to hear from you more frequently.
A: We’d like to thank Jayanta Chakrabarty of India for his warm greetings on the occasion of Tet, Vietnam’s traditional lunar New Year: “My greetings for the New Lunar Year to all at VOV. I wish everyone happiness, peace, prosperity, and good health in the days ahead. VOV is the window to Vietnam presenting listeners with news and happenings in this beautiful land.”
 Dog-shaped trees are displayed at Hoan Kiem lake, Hanoi |
B: Reporting on our program on February 20 which had a story about celebration of the Year of the Dog, Jayanta wrote: “I was happy to learn about the high esteem enjoyed by the dog in Vietnam. This noble and friendly animal represents good fortune and protection. Stone dogs of various sizes are installed in houses as good omens. I also enjoyed the beautiful melodious modern Vietnamese songs played between programs. Some of the memorable songs were: “Go and Return” and “I bring you spring”. I couldn’t understand the words, but music is a universal language.”
A: Thank you, Mr. Chakrabarty, for your greetings and comment. We wish you a New Year of good luck and happiness. We’ll send you a QSL card to confirm your report.
B: Mr. Chakrabarty asked about the National Museum of Vietnam. In today’s program, we’ll tell you something about the Vietnam National Museum of History, which, with its French architectural style, is one of the most attractive museums in Asia. It contains a large collection of valuable objects depicting Vietnam’s history of construction and defense.
 Vietnam National Museum of History |
B: The Vietnam National Museum of History opened on September 26, 2011, integrating the Vietnam History Museum and the Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution. These two museums were the first museums in Vietnam. The Vietnam History Museum was at 1 Trang Tien street in the 1926 building that previously housed the Louis Fino Museum of the French School of the Far East. The Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution was at 25 Tong Dan street in a colonial building the Commercial Department of Indochina built in 1917. These two museum buildings, adjoining the Hanoi Opera House, make up an impressive architectural complex.
A: The museum’s 4000 square meters displaying more than 10,000 documents and objects gives visitors a broad overview of the development of Vietnam from the prehistoric period through the national formation period 4000 years ago, the feudal dynasties, the national liberation struggles, and the national uprising and birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945. The museum introduces the national resistance wars and the Vietnamese people’s achievements in national construction and development.
A: This week, we received a letter from Vo Nhan of Sweden. His name sounds Vietnamese but we’re not sure whether he is Vietnamese or Swedish. In his postcard to VOV, he wrote: “I was very surprised when I turned to the frequency of 7280 khz and I could hear your program in English from 21:30 to about 22:00 UTC because normally it would be difficult to hear VOV in winter here in Sweden. The signal was strong enough so I could hear and understand the content. I listened to a show about Quan Ho folk songs. I would like to hear more about Quan Ho folksongs and singers in the future. Thank you, VOV, for bringing joy to listeners around the world.”
 Quan Ho folk singing is performed at Lim festival |
B: Thank you, Mr. Vo Nhan, for tuning in to VOV. Quan Ho duet folk singing was inscribed in UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage in September, 2009. Quan Ho is an art form that combines, music, lyrics and costumes, and embodies the distinctive culture of people in the region formerly called Kinh Bac, which consisted of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang province and part of Hanoi.
A: The singing represents different kinds of relationship -- the relationship between romantic lovers, the relationship between friendly villages and the relationship between performers and the audience. Each element helps define Quan Ho, give it life and meaning, and the resulting harmony represents much more than just a beautiful song.
 Lim festival draws thousands of visitors |
B: The Lim festival, which is dedicated to Quan ho love duet singing, opens in Lim town, Bac Ninh province on the 13th day of the first lunar month which this year falls on February 28.
A: Over the past two days, thousands of people have flocked to Tien Du district, Bac Ninh province to attend the festival. This year, the incense-offering rituals were organised at Lim pagoda on Lim Hill. The pagoda is dedicated to Nguyen Dinh Dien, an 18th century mandarin, who invented Quan Ho singing.
A: In addition to being performed on stage, Quan Ho is also performed on boats, and in pagodas and communal houses. At the festival, there are incense-offering rituals organised by local temples and pagodas.
 Showcasing Dong Ho folk painting is part of the Lim festival activities |
B: Besides Quan Ho singing, the festival also features folk games such as wrestling, earthenware pot breaking, and bamboo swinging.
B: We’d like to acknowledge letters and emails from Siddhartha Bhattacharjee, Ram Babu Kumar, Mahesh Jain, Ratan Kumar Paul, and Anand Mohan Bain of India, Richard Cook and Grant Skinner of the UK, Richard Nowak of the US.
A: We welcome your feedback at: English Section, VOVworld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at englishsection@vov.org.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Check out our VOV Media App available on both IOS and Android platforms to hear our live broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all. Good bye until next time.