 Mount Fansipan is blanketed with snow. (File photo: caphebiz.vn) |
B: Winter has arrived in Vietnam, with cold winds, shorter days, and longer nights. Our listeners want to know how cold it gets in Vietnam and what is the coldest place.
A: Winter in Vietnam lasts from November to March. Foreigners living in Vietnam say that they feel cold, but it’s not as cold here as in western countries.
B: After autumn, winter is the best time to visit Vietnam because it is the holiday season. Outdoor activities like trekking, mountain biking, and climbing in the northern mountains are popular activities at this time of the year.
A: Trekking in Vietnam’s northern mountains is our recommendation. Northern Vietnam has popular mountain tourist destinations where the temperature fluctuates from below 0 to around 20 degrees Celsius. Dong Van Karst Plateau, Vietnam’s first global geopark recognized by UNESCO, Mount Fansipan in Lao Cai province, Ta Xua district in Son La province, and Mau Son mountain in Lang Son province are the coldest places in December and January. There is snow and ice on some days in winter.
 Dong Van Karst Plateau in snowy days (photo: zingnews.vn) |
B: Sapa is a beautiful mountain resort town all year round. The most prominent attraction around Sapa is Mount Fansipan, which has been dubbed “the roof of Indochina”. It's only 19 km from town. This may seem like a short distance, but the trek is not easy.
A: The rough terrain and unpredictable weather pose a definite challenge. Tourists who are fit and have mountain climbing experience will enjoy this challenge. Technical climbing skills are not necessary, but endurance is a must.
B: Now, with the cable car system from Sapa to the top of Mount Fansipan, anyone can reach the summit by just climbing a few hundreds steps from the cable car station.
 Snow covers Mau Son mountain when the temperature drops to minus 4 DC. (photo: |
A: On Mau Son mountain, the highest point in Lang Son province, the average year-round temperature is 15 degrees Celsius. The road leading to Mau Son is stunningly beautiful. The 15km route winds back and forth up slopes lined with pipe trees. The summit, Phia Po Peak, is 1,540 m above sea level.
B: Mau Son mountain is covered with fog and clouds for two-thirds of the year. In winter it has snow and ice.
A: Vietnam currently accepts COVID-19 vaccine passports from 72 countries and territories, and is discussing the idea with 80 others. Last week, under the vaccine passport program, Vietnam has began welcoming foreign tourists to Phu Quoc island in Kien Giang province, and Hoi An ancient town and the My Son relic site in Quang Nam province. Under the pilot vaccine program, Kien Giang, Khanh Hoa, Da Nang, Quang Nam, and Quang Ninh province are allowed to receive foreign visitors as long as strict disease prevention measures are in place.
B: We hope Vietnam’s tourism sector will become as busy as it was before the pandemic.
A: Dragiša Čabrilo, a shortwave hobbyist in Serbia, told us he has been DX’ing since 1985. He likes to update news on medium and short wave radio.
B He heard VOV’s program on November 5th on a frequency of 9730 kHz. He rated SINPO at all 4s.
A: Dewan Rafiqul Islam, President of the Friends Radio Club in Bangladesh, said he enjoys shortwave radio and will always listen to and report on VOV’s programs. He said the frequency of 9730 khz earned a SINPO rating of all 3s.
B: John Zachary Alvarez of the Philippines often tunes in to VOV’s English program on 12020 kHz. The reception is excellent, with slight noise sometimes. John said he has been listening to VOV5’s English Section since 2020 and it is the best source of information about Vietnam and Vietnamese music.
A: Johnny Antonio Ramirez Lopex of Peru sent a big salute for Vietnam Teachers’ Day, November 20th. He said: “To be a teacher is to have a great selfless commitment and faith in creating better potentialities in the human being. Greetings to all my teaching colleagues in Vietnam and the world! May you always have the will to achieve your goals despite all the difficulties and adversities we face.”
B: He asked: who are the most influential teachers that Vietnam has given to humanity? How is Teachers’ Day celebrated in Vietnam? Are there any customs or characteristics?
A: Honoring teachers and education is an age-old Vietnamese tradition. The tradition has been reflected in many Vietnamese proverbs and sayings: “One word is a teacher, half word is still a teacher” and “One can do nothing without education”.
B: On November 20th, 1982, the first nationwide celebration to honor teachers was held. Since then November 20th has been one of the biggest celebrations in Vietnam honoring teachers and others working in the education sector for their contributions to learning.
 A Teachers' Day celebration at Nguyen Trai Secondary School (File photo) |
A: Pupils and students of all grades show their respects for their teachers by giving gifts and proudly attributing their successes to the teachers. Not only students, parents and the government also honor and congratulate everyone in the educational field. The celebration is not limited solely in words but also in mass media and all sorts of real life means.
B: On Teachers’ Day, teachers and students get the day off to attend a celebration at schools. Awards and certificates are given to teachers to honor their accomplishments. The highest national honors for teachers are the titles People’s Teacher and Meritorious Teacher.
A: Both teachers and students deliver art performances at the celebration. The students show their gratitude to former and current teachers by giving them flowers and other gifts as a token of thanks.
B: You may wonder if foreign teachers who are teaching in Vietnam are honored on this day? Yes, they are. They also receive congratulations and gifts from students, parents, and the schools where they teach, just like their Vietnamese colleagues, and share the love and respect Vietnamese people feel for all teachers.
A: Canadian Amanda Buttler, a teacher of Hermann-Gmiener Primary School in the northern city of Hai Phong, said: “I’ve been teaching for many years in Canada and China, but Vietnam is the only place that honors their teachers with a special day. I remember my first year teaching in Vietnam back in 2017. I didn't know about Teacher's Day, and I was pleasantly surprised by all the gifts my students had prepared for me! From homemade drawings and cards, to flowers, beauty products, and scarves! I really cherish this because it is not only beautiful, it is a symbol of my connection to Vietnam and my students.”
B: Laura Moriarty from the US, who teaches at Hermann-Gmiener Primary School and Einstein Secondary School in Hai Phong city, said: “I think it is so generous and so kind when my students give me flowers or little gifts for Teacher's Day. It's wonderful that there is so much respect for education here! It really warms my heart.”
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!