B: S.B. Sharma of SB World Radio Listeners Club sent us the entries of five club members. He said: “They completed the writing with great enthusiasm. My club members are very happy to participate in your five-year celebration.”

A: Thank you, Mr. Sharma for sending the entries. We greatly appreciate the enthusiasm. We received an entry from Mitul Kansal of India, a regular listener to Voice of Vietnam since 2004.

B: He told us that since 2004 it has been his family’s tradition to listen to VOV together. “VOV presents a range of opinions, views, and platforms. VOV is like a mirror, reflecting the complicated and controversial processes underway in Vietnam. I am very interested in topics such as art, culture, history, politics, customs, traditions, and Vietnamese lifestyle. I also access VOV via the Internet. Your new website is very attractive and informative. Now it has become part and parcel of my daily life.”

A new stamp collection of Vietnamese folk games to mark Children's Day June 1, 2020

A: Thank you, Mitul Kansal, for your interest. We’ve sent your entry to the organizing board of the contest “What do you know about Vietnam?” Once again, we urge all VOV listeners to participate in our contest for a chance to win a free trip to Vietnam.

B: The information you need to answer the 6 contest questions can be found in our radio broadcasts and on our website at vovworld.vn.

A: Entries should be sent by post to VOVWORLD, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam, or emailed to: englishsection@vov.vn. The deadline is July 15, 2020. We hope to see some of you in Vietnam when the Covid-19 pandemic is over.

B: We have good news for foreigners planning to come to Vietnam. Beginning in July citizens from 80 different countries will be allowed to enter Vietnam using an e-visa.

A: In those 80 countries you won’t have to go to a Vietnamese consulate to be interviewed and fingerprinted for your visa application. You can simply go to the website https://immigration.gov.vn and apply for an e-visa online.

B: Each applicant must pay a non-refundable application fee of 25 USD via bank transfer. Applications will be processed within three working days. Each applicant will receive a digital code with which to check their application’s progress and print their e-visa once it has been issued. E-visas are valid for 30 days.

A: Some of the 80 eligible countries are Austria, Poland, Portugal, the UAE, Germany, India, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the US, Italy, Poland, France, China, Russia and the UK. Only certain border gates and airports will accept e-visas. Eight airports that will accept them are Noi Bai in Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat in HCMC, Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Cat Bi, Can Tho, Phu Quoc, and Phu Bai.

B: Vietnam piloted an e-visa program for foreigners from 40 countries in 2017. For the first time, it did not require the visits to be sponsored by organisations or individuals in Vietnam.

A: I’m reading a letter from David Ansell, who lives in Sussex, about 37 miles south of London. He is a shortwave listener and a member of the British DX Club. Ansell tuned in to VOV’s English program on January 27th, 2020, on the frequency of 7280 khz.

B: He marked the signal quality from fair to good with little interference or noise. Like many other listeners, Ansell asked us to acknowledge his reception report by ordinary mail.

A: Dear listeners, the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to spread in many countries, triggering social distancing measures, travel restrictions, and delayed deliveries. In response VOV has begun to send e-verification cards to confirm listeners’ reception reports, whether they were sent to us by post or by email.

B: We’re very sorry to announce that VOV will not be sending QSL cards by post any more. We know that many of our listeners like to collect and display those QSL cards. We regret being obliged to discontinue them. But we will continue to send postcards and other small gifts to our listeners on special occasions.

A: You’ll still have the pleasure of opening occasional packages of surprise gifts from VOV. We thank you for your understanding and support.

B: I’m reading an email from Héctor Frías Jofré of Chile. We’re glad to hear from you again, Hector. Your last report was almost a year ago. Hector tuned in to our program on April 28th on the frequency of 7315 khz via Radio Miami and rated SINPO 45444.

A: He said: “The signal was magnificent. It was heard clearly and loudly, without interference. The topics covered were current and entertaining, nuanced with beautiful music. I congratulate you for the quality of your programming, always with news and culture from your country. Your broadcasts are a rare ambassador for the life, culture and people of Vietnam.”

B: Thank you very much, Hector. We hope to hear from you more regularly.

A: M Saleem Akhtar Chadhar of Pakistan’s VOV Seven Stars Radio Listeners Club told us the good news that he and his club members are all fine and safe from the covinavirus.

A: It’s great to hear that. We hope the epidemic will soon be contained in every country. It is already under control in Vietnam. Normal activities have resumed, but we are adapting to a new normal lifestyle because the risk of infection still remains.

B: Domestic travel and tourism activities have resumed now that Vietnam has recorded no new virus transmissions for more than a month. A special tour, which was fully booked for two years before the pandemic began, is now resuming operation.

Inside Son Doong cave

A: It’s the popular tour of Son Doong, the world's largest cave, in Quang Binh province. Registration for the tour will be accepted between June and August by Oxalis, the only company licensed to conduct tours of Son Doong.

B: There are only about 240 slots for this year. The number of visitors is limited to help protect the cave complex’s delicate ecosystem. This year a four-day expedition costs 2,500 USD per person, down from last year’s price of 3,000 USD per person.

A: Son Doong opened to tourists in 2013. It includes at least 150 individual caves, a dense subterranean jungle and several underground rivers. British magazine Conde Nast Traveler named Son Doong one of seven must-explore wonders of 2020.

Son Doong cave is featured in DJ Alan Walker's MV  “Alone, Pt. II"

B: Early this year, world famous DJ Alan Walker released a music video filmed in Quang Binh province that included footage of Son Doong cave. The MV follows a young archaeologist on a quest to discover a place of mystery and wonder. Clues hidden in a painting lead her to Quang Binh, where she is mesmerized by the marvels of Son Doong, the world’s largest natural cave. The trailer for the MV “Alone, Pt. II" racked up more than one million views in two days.

A: Check out the video. It may inspire you to go explore the incomparable wonders of Son Doong cave yourself.

B: We welcome your feedback at: English Service, VOVworld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at our new email address: englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs.

A : We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening.