 Nhat Tan flower village on the outskirts of Hanoi |
A: Whatever difficulties arise during the year, when the New Year comes, people expectantly decorate their houses in the hope of welcoming happiness, prosperity, and good luck in the New Year. Plenty of food, flowers, and plants are stocked to ensure a beautiful and satisfying Tet.
B: Some of our listeners have asked us what kind of plants Vietnamese people associate with Tet. Foreigners living in Vietnam want to know about the feng-shui meanings of bonsai trees, such as prosperity, happiness, or blessings.
A: Flower villages are wonderful places to soak up the atmosphere of Tet. I can name some famous ones across Vietnam – Nhat Tan and Tay Tuu flower village in Hanoi, Đằng Hải flower village in Hải Phòng, Da Lat flower city in Lam Dong province, Sa Dec flower village in Đồng Tháp province, Cái Mơn village in Bến Tre, and Cẩm Hà flower village in Hội An.
 Peach blossoms in Nhat Tan flower village |
B: Nhật Tân peach blossom village and Tu Lien kumquat tree village in Hanoi are extremely busy before Tet. Pink peach blossoms and orange kumquat trees are two iconic Tet plants in the north, while in the south, people display yellow apricot flowers.
A: The farmers have carefully tended thousands of peach trees throughout the year so they will produce beautiful flowers at Tet. In the weeks before Tet they eat and sleep with the trees, nurturing the buds so they will bloom just at the right time.
B: Peach flowers and kumquat trees convey New Year wishes. The coming year will be the year of the Buffalo. Some farmers have grown bonsai kumquat trees in pots that look like a buffalo. The buffalo is strong and hard-working. It symbolises good health and prosperity in the new year.
 Kumquat trees grow in buffalo pots |
A: Kumquat tree growers outside Hanoi are also busily pruning and shaping trees so that they will flower and have both green and ripe fruit at Tet.
B: Billsawasdee@gmail.com said after our story on Sa Dec flower village in Dong Thap province that he wants to buy a ficus and other bonsai trees.
A: It’s easy to buy bonsai trees wherever you live in Vietnam. Sa Dec flower village has many famous bonsai farms.
B: Ficus bonsai is called the “cheerful tree” because it is believed to lighten the mood of people who are nearby. This bonsai symbolizes unity, new beginnings, abundance, simplicity, and the harmony of nature.
 2011 is the year of the buffalo. |
A: It is widely believed that having a ficus in the home will enhance positive energy and thinking ability. The ficus is one of the most popular indoor bonsai because it is famously low maintenance.
B: This week we received many reception reports from listeners in India. Shivendu Paul of West Bengal listened to the VOV English program at 1600-1630 UTC at 7220KHz.
A: He sent his best wishes for the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. He said he has seen a lot of news about the Party Congress on VOV’s website and other media. He regularly visits VOV’s Facebook page and website to read interesting news and events.
 A spring festival in Can Tho city from Jan 28-Feb 1, 2021 |
B: Mr. Paul reminded us that February 13th is World Radio Day. He will organize a meeting of radio enthusiasts and an exhibition.
A: We don’t think there will be public events as we usually do every year because this year’s World Radio Day coincides with Vietnam’s Lunar New Year holiday. VOV will continue to serve diverse communities, offer a wide variety of programs, viewpoints and content, and reflect the diversity of its audience.
B: On the occasion of World Radio Day 2021, UNESCO is calling on radio stations to celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary and 110 years of radio. This year the event will have three themes: Evolution – the world changes, radio evolves; Innovation – the world changes, radio adapts and innovates; and Connection – the world changes, radio connects.
 Kim Dong Publishing House introduces many children stories for Tet 2021. |
A: Tazrin Ahamed Toma, Bangladeshi listener, listened to VOV’s English program on January 4 on 7220 khz. He said the signal was good. He was interested in a story about a teacher behind the success of Vietnamese students at international chemistry competitions.
B: 2020 was a successful year for Vietnamese students and teachers at international competitions. Eight Vietnamese students from Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted have claimed medals at the 5th International Olympiad of Metropolises. It was organised by the Mayor of Moscow in December in an online format due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A: Besides, the Vietnam team won the silver cup and ranks in Top 5 best cities in the category of blitz-contest. The Olympiad of Metropolises is an annual international team competition held in Moscow. A team of eight participants shows their knowledge of physics, chemistry, mathematics and informatics.
B: The Vietnamese team participating in the virtual 61st International Mathematical Olympiad 2020 brought home two gold medals, finishing 17th out of 105 participating countries.
A: All six members of the Vietnamese team competing at the 13th Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad 2020 online have won medals. They brought home one gold, four silver and a bronze medals, ranking sixth in the event, after China, Russia, Iran, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
B: Early this month Vietnamese students won 20 medals at the 2021 International Mathematics and Science Olympiad. They claimed two golds, five silvers, and four bronzes in maths and five silvers and four bronzes in science. The Olympiad was held online by Indonesia with the participation of students from 15 countries.
A: We have an announcement of seasonal frequency changes for our English broadcasts. Beginning March 28, VOV’s frequency of 7280 khz beaming to Central Europe and Central Asia will change to 11885 khz.
B: Beginning March 28, listeners who now tune to 7280 khz should switch to 11885 khz to hear VOV. We will keep reminding you of the frequency change between now and March 28. We hope the change will bring you better reception quality.
A: We always welcome your feedback at: English Service, VOVworld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs.
B: Check out our VOV Media App, available on both the IOS and Android platform, to hear our live broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye until next time.