B: Gerry Neumann of the UK said: “Dear friends, Chuc mung nam moi! It is the friendly greeting I’ve been privileged to exchange with friends and strangers on the four occasions I was in Vietnam at this time of the year – twice in Hanoi and twice in Hue. Now I wish it to you, my friends at VOV, on the occasion of the Year of the Pig 2019.”

A: “Chuc mung nam moi”, Mr. Neumann and other listeners. The Lunar New Year, or Tet, is the biggest holiday in Vietnam. This year we had 9 days of for Tet, giving people some time to relax, visit relatives, and play tourist.

Firework displays on New Year's Eve 2019 at Hoan Kiem lake in the center of Hanoi.

B: Mr. Neumann told us that this year he’s in England and has been enjoying the atmosphere of Tet through the programs on VOV. He said: “As usual, most of my listening to VOV has been on the internet, since reception in the south of England on shortwave is generally poor or impossible to hear. On Sunday, February 3^rd, the first item on the domestic news was about the 89^th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The Sunday Show was about the Cham culture and cuisine. As always, the programme was very informative and interesting. Thank you for continuing to increase my knowledge about Vietnam, its people and culture. I hope to come to Vietnam again at the end of May this year.”

A: It’s great to hear that you plan to visit Vietnam in May. You’re always welcome at our office, so don’t forget to call us when you’re in Hanoi.

B: Jajim Uddin of India listened to a program on January 23 on the frequency of 7220khz. He rated SINPO at 44344 on a Grundig Yacht Boy 80 receiver. He told us that the Letter Box segment gave him a lot of information about Tet, Vietnam’s biggest festival. He learned about Chung cake, the indispensable offering on ancestral altars during Tet. On New Year’s Eve, everybody, whether at a big party or in the comfort of their home, wishes each other a Happy New Year.” 

A: Many listeners have complimented VOV’s Tet programs for giving them an insight in Vietnam’s culture and lifestyle.

People flock to Yen Tu Festival in spring.

B: American listener Richard Nowak said he enjoyed our special show on Vietnamese spring festivals. An interview with a researcher of Vietnamese festivals, who first visited a spring festival when he was 15 was interesting, as was an interview with a festival goer who wants to educate children about Vietnam's festivals.”

A:  Mr. Nowak said the show was informative and educational. Jayanta Chakrabarty of India told us: “I would like to wish everyone my sincere best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous Lunar New Year. I am happy to report on your excellent news, features and music programmes which I enjoy listening to on shortwave. Good news for the Vietnamese tourism industry is that 18 million foreign visitors are expected to visit Vietnam this year, and spend 30 billion USD. In international news, VOV reported on US President Trump's annual State of the Union address in which he announced a 2^nd US-North Korea summit in Vietnam on February 27-28.”

B: The Tet holiday is over, but its festive atmosphere lingers on. Spring is the season of festivals in Vietnam. People like to visit pagodas to pray for luck, health, and prosperity in the New Year and do a little sightseeing.

Trang An - Bai Dinh Eco-tourism complex

A: The Bai Dinh Pagoda festival began last Thursday in Ninh Binh province. Bai Dinh Pagoda was built thousands of years ago. It has been upgraded and expanded to become the Bai Dinh Buddhism Spiritual Centre, covering 700ha, the largest pagoda in Vietnam.

B: “Bai Dinh” means “the worship of heaven and earth, Buddha, and celestial angels”. The pagoda is part of the Trang An Landscape Complex, which was recognised as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2014.

A: It now includes several national record-setting relics, including VN’s largest bronze Buddha statue (150 tonnes), largest bronze bell (30 tonnes), and most Arhat statues (500).

B: The three-month Huong (Perfume) Pagoda Festival, the longest festival in Vietnam, has opened in Huong Son commune on the outskirts of Hanoi, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

Pilgrims take boats on Yen river to Huong pagoda.

A: The organising board said 124,500 pilgrims flocked to Huong Pagoda last weekend. Going to Huong Pagoda is a spiritual journey to the Buddhist Land – where the Goddess of Mercy leads a religious life. Visitors take sightseeing trips along the river to pagodas, temples, and caves, which are the main attractions of the festival, and attend ceremonies to ask favours of Buddha. 

B: Tam Chuc Pagoda in Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province is attracting more pilgrims this year. Objects excavated from this area reveal that the pagoda was built over 1,000 years ago.

A: The Tam Chuc pagoda area comprises 5,000 ha of land and a 1,000-ha lake, surrounded by mountains and natural forests. The pagoda faces the lake and is backed by 7 mountains. In the lake are 6 tall islands, which legend says are bells sent from Heaven.

B: The pagoda is being expanded and upgraded. 12,000 new stone paintings recounting legends of the Buddha will be made by Indonesian artisans and shipped to Vietnam. Vietnamese artisans are building 1,000 stone pillars carved with Buddhist texts. Once completed, it will be the largest garden of Buddhist writing in the world 

Tam Chuc pagoda.

A: Tam Chuc pagoda, which will host the UN Day of Vesak 2019, in May expects over 10,000 attendees, including 1,500 dignitaries, monks, leaders of Buddhist organisations, scientists, and researchers, as well as Buddhist followers from 90-100 countries and territories, and 10,000 Vietnamese Buddhist followers.

B: This week many listeners told us they have received our QSL cards, New Year’s greeting cards, and Tet gifts. The head of the Pak Listeners Club of Pakistan, thanked us for sending verification cards for his reception reports. He said: “These are not words. These are my feelings. I am so pleased to feel you all around me. Thanks for the staff of the English Language Service for giving individual attention to each and every listener. This shows that we listeners are very dear to you.”

A: Mahesh Jain of India thanked us for sending him a New Year's greeting card. It was really wonderful and a great surprise, he said. Mahesh sends us and all of you a wish for a UN-designated World Radio Day 2019 on February 13.

B: He said: “Every year, World Radio Day reminds me of the real radio days - the good old days when there used to be real radios. Now radio stations worldwide are abandoning radio, particularly the shortwave band. They are turning themselves into internet streams only. I feel very proud that VOV is still on the air on shortwave, keeping us always informed and aware.”

A: Thank you very much, Mahesh, for your complement. Mahesh said: “You have very friendly and loving presenters, broadcasters, and team members. We are really very lucky to have your company every evening. This year’s theme is Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace - which is very relevant to today’s society.”

B: He goes on to say: “Radio, particularly VOV, brings news and views from all over the globe, which in turn creates tolerance towards different genders, religious beliefs, the food people eat, the clothes they wear, etc. So radio helps to create a more tolerant and peaceful world.”

A: I think Mahesh’s wish is shared by all of us when he says, “I hope radio will not vanish, but evolve into a new avatar through changing technologies and make listeners more aware, active, responsible citizens not only of their own nation but also of this Earth.”

B: Thanks a lot, Mahesh, and other DX’ers for keeping radio alive by turning your radio on every day. Thank you for your support for VOV. We welcome your feedback at English Service, VOVworld, Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Our email address is englishsection@vov.org.vn.