A ritual to offer new year's calendar to the royal court of the Le dynasty is revitalized at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi. (photo: qdnd.vn)

B: Shivendu Paul, a member of India’s Metali Listeners’ Club, sent us happy Tet greetings.  He said: “Best wishes to all Vietnamese people and all staff and listeners of Voice of Vietnam. Tet is the Vietnamese New Year and is the most important festival and public holiday in Vietnam.  Vietnamese people will enjoy a 5-day national public holiday from January 31 – Tet Eve – to February 4, 2022. Vietnamese New Year is the most important festival of the year in Vietnam, celebrating love, the start of spring, and the best of hopes for the New Year.”

A: Thank you very much for your well wishes and your deep understanding of the Vietnamese culture. The Tet atmosphere is prevailing in Vietnam although it’s not as bustling as before COVID-19.

B: We are cautiously adapting to the pandemic. Businesses have gradually recovered and people are trying to have a good Tet to wrap up a year of difficulties and begin a brighter year. We all hope for the best.

A display of an ancestral altar at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi (photo: qdnd.vn)

A: This week we received four letters from Fumito Hokamura of Japan. They were sent on different dates in December and arrived at the Hanoi Post Office this week. Mr. Hokamura is a loyal listener of VOV’s Japanese and English programs.

B: He said that he listens to VOV daily before going to bed, “I like Vietnam, so I listen to the news, culture, and songs on VOV. Everything I listen to on VOV is interesting. Congratulations for the Vietnamese New Year. We pray for good luck!”

A: We greatly appreciate your feedback, Mr. Hokamura. You’re one of a few listeners who have kept sending us letters in recent years, even during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

B: Mr. Hokamura said he is very interested in Vietnam’s political system and the Doi moi – renewal process. “Who is the starter of Doi Moi in Vietnam?” he asked.

A: Nguyen Van Linh, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam from 1986 to 1991, is known as a staunch and reformist leader who strongly promoted the Doi Moi process in Vietnam. He was the first Party leader to lead and organise the implementation of the Party resolution on Doi moi, which marked a historic turning point in our country’s history.

B: Nguyen Van Linh was the person who initiated and pursued the principles of Doi moi while attaching to the socialist orientation, maintaining and promoting the Party’s leadership, respecting and bringing into full play the people’s right to mastery.

A: The Doi moi process has reaped important benefits, creating firm foundations for Vietnam to develop quickly in later years. His column “Things to be done immediately” in People newspaper won applause from the public for attacking negative phenomena in society, thus creating an open and democratic social atmosphere.

B: Over the past 35 years, Vietnam has integrated itself deeply into the world economy at different levels and in different forms, with the formation of strategic partnerships. So far, 71 countries have recognised Vietnam’s market economy, including many large economic partners.

A: The Doi moi has elevated Vietnam from a backward country with 90% of the population working in the agricultural sector to one of the most dynamic economies in Asia.

Tet Fair at Hang Luoc street in Hanoi's Old Quarters (Photo: VNA)

B: Abdul Mannan of Bangladesh emailed us a reception report for a program on January 16 on the frequency of 7220 khz. He said the signal was clear and loud. Mr. Mannan regularly listens to VOV’s English program and sends us his feedback.

A: Thank you Mr. Mannan for contacting VOV. Many other listeners also want to receive VOV’s verification cards by letters. But it’s a pity that since the middle of 2020, we have not sent letters and printed QSL cards to listeners because the postal service to some countries has been suspended due to COVID-19. We hope we can deliver them to you again soon.

B: Peruvian listener Johnny Antonio Ramirez Lopez, the founder and administrator of a Fanpage called Friends of VOV, told us that the Fanpage is his contribution to the DX’ing community. It’s not easy to run the Fanpage at the beginning, but Vietnam is his motivation, inspiration, trust, bravery, and patience to pursue his work, he said.

A: Thank you very much for promoting Vietnam and VOV to a wider world. Your Fanpage is one of many offers of support for VOV.

B: VOV Fan Clubs have been established in many countries. Shivendu Paul is running the Metali Listeners’ Club of India.

A: The largest radio club on Java island, Indonesia, called Radio Listener Club, has 5,000 members listening to VOV.  The Borneo Radio Club in Kalimantan island regularly listens and sends reports to VOV.

B: Pakistan has many shortwave clubs such as the World United Listeners Organization Pakistan, Pakistan DX Council, and Pakistan Dx’ers Forum whose members have regular contact with VOV.

A: Many thanks to all of you for your support which is a great encouragement for us. VOV will continue to be a platform for you to update news and share your opinions.

A performance opens the Tet Viet Program 2022 in Ho Chi Minh City.

B: We’ll now dedicate the final part of our Letter Box today to responding to some listeners’ questions about Vietnam’s rice production and its export ranking.

A: The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reports that Vietnam’s rice output last year reached nearly 44 million tons, up 1.1 million tons compared to 2020. It fully met the demand for domestic consumption, processing, use as animal feed and export.

B: The proportion of high-quality rice accounts for over 89% of exported rice, which has contributed to raising the average export price to over 503 USD/tonne last year.

A: According to a project on Vietnam's rice industry restructuring to 2025 and 2030, Vietnam targets to export 5 million tons of rice per year and improve the quality and value of Vietnamese rice varieties in the international market.

B: Rice producers and exporters have gradually shifted to high-quality and aromatic rice and penetrated demanding markets such as the EU, the US, and Japan.

A: The US Department of Agriculture reported in May last year that after 2 consecutive years ranked second in global rice exports, Vietnam would rank 3rd in global rice exports this year, shipping 6.3 million tonnes overseas.

B: We hope that our rice has been available or will soon be available in your countries so that you can taste it.

A: Time is running out on VOV. We thank you all for joining us. We welcome your comments at English Service, VOVWorld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam.

A: Our email address is: englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online and leave your comments at vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye.