E-greeting card from VOV listeners

B: We’d like to thank these listeners in Bangladesh: Amena Khanam Sale, Nusrat Zahan, Miss Maria, Eti Mone, Karniz Fatema Sanu, Feoana Rahman, Tajrin Ahmed, Saif Khan, Hm Tarek, Rozina Akter, Zosna  Rahman, and Fariya Fariya for sending us beautiful e-greeting cards on this occasion.

A: Today we’d like to welcome to VOV Mr. Teemu Parantainen, a 32-year-old DX listener from Finland. Mr. Parantainen listened to our broadcast from 19:00 to 19:30 on August 9 on the frequency of 7280 khz and rated SINPO 45333. He wrote: “Thanks for your broadcast.Keep up the good work. Very interesting info about Vietnam. I hope my report will give you useful info and I will for sure keep tuning in to your broadcasts in the future.”

B: Mr. Parantainen sent us a detailed technical report, commenting: “Signal was good, though not perfect. No interference from other stations. There was some disturbing noise and waving, but it was still pretty listenable.”

A: Thank you, Mr. Parantainen, for your detailed report, which will be very useful to us. VOV broadcasts can be heard, not only on shortwave, but also on the internet at vovworld.vn and on our mobile app “VOV media”. We’ll send you a QSL card to confirm your report and look forward to hearing more from you.

A: This week, Amena Khanam Sale of Bangladesh asked about the national sports of Vietnam. In Vietnam, we do not designate any sport a national sport, but people often mention Vietnam’s style of martial arts, which we introduced in a previous Letter Box.

B: Today, let’s look at shuttlecock kicking, a sport in which Vietnam has been the world champion several times.

A: At the 2019 World Shuttlecock Championships in France last month, Vietnam won five gold and two silver medals, topping the medal tally. The four-day tournament attracted 15 teams, all members of the International Shuttlecock Federation.

B: In 2015 Vietnam secured four gold and three silver medals to finish first at the 8th World Shuttlecock Championship, which took place in Rome from September 2-5.Vietnam also finished first with four gold and three silver medals in 2013.

A: Vietnam has been the most successful country in the world at shuttlecock kicking. It has finished in first place at each of the 8 World Shuttlecock Championship tournaments held so far.

B: Shuttlecock kicking, called đá cầu in Vietnamese and jianzi in Chinese, is a kind of foot badminton played by schoolchildren, old people, and millions in between.

A: All you need to play the game is the shuttlecock, which is made of feathers, washers and a hitting disc. The washers are made of metal or plastic. The hitting disc — the part your foot makes contact with — can be plastic, cork, or rubber. Some people prefer bright colorful synthetic feathers, but plain brown, gray, or white authentic feathers are the most popular in Vietnam.

B: The first mention of the game dates back to the 2nd century BC, during the Chinese Han Dynasty. The game was played to keep soldiers fit and entertained and it involved kicking the shuttlecock into a net. From China, the game spread throughout Asia and was known by many different names through the years. While China and Vietnam dominate competitions, the game has devoted followers in many other countries.

A: The rules vary with the style of game being played —artistic or competitive — but one general rule holds true in all versions: Keep the shuttlecock in the air. You can use your feet, your knees, your shoulders, your chest, and even your head. But the only time you can use your hands is when you’re playing an artistic version with friends. In that case, the odd hand swat to keep the game moving is fine.

B: In artistic versions, the game is all about style and skill. It’s a combination of gymnastics and ballet, where the players essentially perform for each other. The players have long since mastered the basics of hitting the shuttlecock, so they try creative moves such as closing their eyes, or kicking behind their back. The more difficult the move they can pull off, the better.

A: For the competitive version of đá cầu, the court and net are nearly the same as in badminton. Many public parks in Vietnam put up nets for anyone who wants to play. Because the competitive version is so demanding, you usually see young, physically fit people playing it. Younger kids and casual players usually stick to the artistic version.

King Khai Dinh's tomb

B: If you want to play shuttlecock, head to a park near the town center early in the morning, or around dusk. The game involves a heavy cardio workout, so you’ll seldom see anyone playing shuttlecock during the hot, midday hours — except for kids in schoolyards. Most groups are happy to let a stranger join in.

A: This week, several listeners told us they want to hear about the use of virtual reality in tourism in Vietnam.

B: Virtual reality is being tested by a number of travel companies in Vietnam. For example, in Thua Thien-Hue province, a virtual reality tour of the Hue Imperial City was launched last year. The VR tour was developed as a cooperative program by Hue Imperial City and its Republic of Korea partner, IV COM Co., Ltd.

A: Hue Imperial City was the first heritage site in Vietnam and one of the first three sites in the world to deploy advanced VR technology.

B: The virtual tour takes visitors back 200 years to explore the elaborate and grandiose exteriors of King Khai Dinh’s tomb.

A: A highlight of the tour is an exploration of the Complex of Hue Monuments, which was honored by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

B:We’d like to acknowledge a letter from Peter Ng of Malaysia, who listened to our broadcast at 10 UTC on August 8 on the frequency of 9840khz,using a portable SONY ICF SW 11. Peter rated SINPO between 4 and 5.

A: We want to welcome to VOV Menina Mohammed of Algeria, who sent us some gifts from her home country and a letter. It was so difficult to read the hand writing that we couldn’t confirm her reception. We look forward to your feedback next time, Menina.

B: We’d like to welcome Lu Dacheng of China to VOV. Mr. Lu listened to our broadcast in Yiwu city of Zhejiang province. He wrote: “I can hear your signals on shortwave in Yiwu city very well. Your website is a good guide to Vietnamese tourism. I want to visit Vietnam and explore the natural and cultural beauty of Vietnam.”

A: Thanks to all of you for tuning in to our channel and giving us feedback. We'll send you QSL cards to confirm your reports. 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.org.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. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye until next time.