B: Yes, it is. Although email is an effective and simple way to communicate, I prefer receiving letters and examining postage stamps from around the world.
A: We receive letters from Fumito Hokamura of Japan on a weekly basis. He regularly listens to VOV’s programs in both Japanese and English. Fumito told us he gave his father a VOV key chain and he liked it very much. Fumito and his father really like Vietnamese culture, songs, festivals, and customs.
B: Here I have a letter from Eric Bueneman of Missouri in the US. He tuned in to our program on September 21 on the frequency of 7315khz and rated the overall quality at 5. He said the signal was excellent from the South Carolina relay. Your reception report was very detailed, Eric. We’ll definitely send you a QSL card to confirm it.
A: I’m reading an email from Jayanta Chakrabarty of India. He said: “I enjoy listening to your news and feature programmes on culture, travel, and music on the shortwave radio. Reception quality on 7220khz on October 6th was good with strong signal strength in this part of northern India with occasional atmospheric noise. SINPO rating was all 4s.”
 A performance recreated the scene of the liberation army arriving in Hanoi. |
B: He mentioned some details of the programme he enjoyed: “The report on the programme "Memory of Hanoi" organized on the anniversary of Hanoi’s Liberation Day on October 10th, 1954, was emotional and informative. I was also delighted to hear about the achievements made by Lai Chau province through sustainable development as it celebrates its 110th anniversary.”
A: Activities are being held in Vietnam to mark Hanoi’s Liberation Day 65 years ago and Hanoi’s 20 years of UNESCO recognision as a City for Peace. There are many photo exhibitions, art performances in public places, and Phung Hung Street has been decorated with flags, flowers, and banners to recreate the scene on October 10th, 1954.
B: A highlight was a music and dance performance involving 200 members of a military band, musicians from the Vietnam National Academy of Music, and actors and students from the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema. They recreated the scene of the liberation army arriving in Hanoi, with citizens waving flags and flowers to welcome the soldiers back from battle.
 A scene in the performance celebrating Hanoi's 65th anniversary of liberation |
A: Some of our listeners in Bangladesh want to know about historic tourist sites in Vietnam. In Vietnam many historical places have become popular tourist sites. Let’s talk about some places in Hanoi, where many buildings and monuments reflect the capital city’s cultural richness and offer visitors a glimpse into Vietnam’s difficult struggle for independence and reunification in the mid-20th century.
B: The first mention should be Ba Dinh Square, where President Ho Chi Minh read Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence on September 2nd, 1945, proclaiming the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was inaugurated at Ba Binh Square in 1975. People from around the world now come here to pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh. Ba Dinh Square is close to a number of important buildings, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly Building, and the headquarters of many Ministries.
 Ba Dinh square and President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum |
A: Close to Hanoi’s Old Quarter is the Hanoi Opera House and August Revolution Square. On August 19, 1945, the Independence League of Vietnam organized a large demonstration which directly led to general uprisings against the French throughout the country.
B: The beautiful Hanoi Opera House was built in 1911 by the French. It’s a phenomenal piece of neo-classical French architecture featuring Gothic themes on the doors and domes with pillars, shuttered windows, balconies and a glass room. Musicians, actors and dancers regularly perform here in front of an audience of 600. The Hanoi Opera House stands as a historic and cultural vestige of Vietnam under French rule.
 Hanoi Opera House |
A: The 200-year-old Hanoi Flag Tower on Dien Bien Phu Street built during the Nguyen dynasty, is a unique symbol of the capital city. It is now part of the Vietnam Military History Museum. The tower was nearly destroyed during the American war. On October 10, 1954, the national flag was hoisted for the first time to the top of the tower to mark Hanoi’s liberation.
 200-year-old Hanoi Flag Tower |
B: I’m reading an email from Richard Nowak of the US. He enjoyed the show on September 23rd on 7315khz, listening with a Hallicrafters S-85 hooked up to an 80-meter off-center-fed dipole antenna.
A: Richard said: “The great Sunday Show discussed the rich ecosystem, coral reefs and sandy beaches of an island. The crystal clear waters bring visitors who must know how to swim and dive. A person interviewed said it was their first time diving on the sea bed. Beautiful coral reefs and colorful fish can be seen. Reception was declining during the Sunday Show. A nice, female singer dancer pop song was played.”
B: That was a story about Phu Quoc island in Kien Giang province, sometimes called “the Pearl Island” or “Living Heaven”. It’s a great place for sightseeing and exploring a diverse ecosystem.
A: There is a lot for visitors to enjoy in Phu Quoc: marvelous sandy beaches and beautiful scenery during the daytime and a busy night market full of dining and shopping opportunities. Phu Quoc became a hot tourist destination when it made CNN’s list of the 17 Best Places in Asia this year.
 A beach on Phu Quoc island |
B: Eddy Prabowo of Indonesia sent us a report for a program on September 28th on 7315khz. He logged in our channel using a KiwiSDR receiver in Washington, DC and monitored in Jakarta Indonesia using an smartphone. He said: “The audio was heard relatively fair. Found noise splatter and fading, sometimes the voice was unclear due to buzzing. At 00.15 UTC the signal went off for about 5 seconds. Sometimes I found radio Teletype signal.”
A: Thank you very much. Your remarks have been forwarded to VOV’s technical section. We hope the winter broadcast will be better.
B: Constantin Dragos of Romania sent us reception reports for programs in Russian and Spanish. We’ve forwarded them to our Russian and Spanish sections to process. Thank you very much for tuning in to VOV. We hope to receive more feedback on our English program soon.
A: We’ll resend a QSL card to Jordan Heyburn of Northern Ireland to confirm a reception report he sent us back in March. This week, we acknowledge reception reports from Saleem Akhtar Chadhar of Pakistan, H.M.Tarek, Eti Mone, and Feona Rahman of Bangladesh, Miss Mariya of India, and Andrew Kuznetsov of Latvia.
B: Thank you all for tuning in to VOV’s English program and sending us your feedback. We’ll send you QSL cards to confirm your reports. We welcome your letters at English Service, VOVWorld, Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Our email address is englishsection@vov.org.vn. Thank you for listening to VOV on shortwave and following us online. Goodbye until next time.