B: It’s great to know you got what you requested and that we have kept our promise to you. We hope that you’ll continue listening to our programs.

A: This week, we once again received several letters at one time from our loyal listener, Fumito Hokamura of Fukuoka-ken, Japan. What surprised us this time is that Fumito can write Vietnamese! He asked us several questions in Vietnamese and expressed his wish to learn our language. We think it’s a good idea. Congratulations Fumito…..Chuc mung Fumito!

B: Fumito wants to know more about Vietnamese pagodas, which can be found all over our country. Three of the pagodas in Vietnam are counted among the finest pagodas in the world. One of these is the Bridge Pagoda in Hoi An, built in the Japanese style of the early sixteenth century and boasting a beautiful arched Japanese bridge.

A: The One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi is another. The One Pillar Pagoda was built of wood on a single stone pillar in the middle of a small pond in the eleventh century. The Perfume Pagoda is located in the beautiful limestone Perfume Mountains approximately 50 miles southwest of Hanoi. It is actually a vast complex of Buddhist shrines and temples. Hundreds of thousands of Buddhists make a pilgrimage to Perfume Pagoda every year.

One-pillar Pagoda in Hanoi (Photo: Internet)

B: There are many elegant Vietnamese pagodas in the former imperial city of Hue, now a UNESCO recognized World Heritage Site. The Thien Mu, or Heavenly Lady Pagoda is a good example. Although there are numerous pagodas in Vietnam, they all share some common essential Vietnamese traits, solemnity combined with simplicity, brightness and solidity combined with suppleness. There is a conscious avoidance of symbolism, elaborateness, flamboyance, and gloom.

A: The Vietnamese like what is simple, modest, moderate, and harmonious between man and nature, as expressed in the styles of pagodas built in the Ly and Tran dynasties from the 11th to 14th centuries. In the framework of a Letter Box, it’s a pity we can’t introduce in detail each pagoda in Vietnam, but we hope that when you visit Hanoi as you suggested in your letter, you’ll get a chance to visit some of the beautiful pagodas we’ve mentioned. Don’t worry about how to get there because we’ll send you a map. That was one of your requests, wasn’t it?  

B: Regarding your plan to study Vietnamese, we would like to mention that the Vietnamese section of VOV’s Overseas Service offers language programs every Thursday and Sunday, immediately following our English broadcasts. Or you can log on to our website at www.vovworld.vn, and check out the Vietnamese section. We hope that our service will help you improve your Vietnamese skills quickly.

A: You’re listening to VOV’s Letter Box, broadcast every Wednesday. The song you’ve just heard was about the West Lake in Hanoi. One of our listeners this week was Ian Stagg of Northwich, Cheshire, England, who listened to our English program on September 11^th from 17.00 to 17.30 UTC on 9625 kHz. Ian sent us a report of the Tuesday program perfect in almost every detail. How do I know this? Simple I did most of all the program myself from commentary on the maritime dispute between China and Japan to the business report on creating an effective social enterprises model.

B: We’re glad you found our commentary interesting and informative, because, as you say ‘news coverage on the topic is quite poor’ in your country. For your excellent report, we’ll send you a QSL card and the new program schedule you requested. Please keep listening.

A: The letter we got from John Burczyk of Greenport, New York, in the US was upbeat. He listened to a Sunday program in September just for fun. John’s attention was particularly caught by the conference in Vladivostok, Russia, and the singing of Thai Bao, a Vietnamese singer famous for songs written during the wartime. John said that basically the sound quality was good and clear except for temporary interference from a local station.

B: Here’s a letter from Ratan Kumar Paul, coordinator of the South-Asia CRI DXER forum in India. Ratan spoke highly of the Letter Box on September 5^th, which his club members enjoyed very much he says. But he didn’t receive the letter we mentioned in that program. We apologize and we’ll try to find out what happened.

A: Letting us know that despite our slowness, club members ‘don’t get angry but still love VOV’ makes us feel a lot better. As for your proposal to become a monitor of VOV’s English section, we’ll take it under consideration and forward it to our boss.

B: This week we welcome a newcomer, Taslim Uddin, a computer teacher at Morchhula Girls High School in Bangladesh. We’re glad to learn that from he, his 12 colleagues, and 850 students listen to our program via the Internet every day. News, lifestyle, education, science and technology are what they are most interested in. That’s great. We’ll do our best to keep our website interesting.

A: You asked about cinema and movie theaters in Vietnam. We don’t know the total number but there are about 36 theaters in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the two biggest population centers in Vietnam.

B: In recent years, with the development of the national economy and improved living conditions, Vietnamese people have more opportunities to go to the cinema. Vietnam’s film industry has also improved and more Vietnamese films are competing in international film festivals. Most recent was The Scent of Burning Grass directed by Nguyen Huu Muoi. The film was entered for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85^th Academy Awards.

A: The film is about four Hanoi students who join the army during the American war in 1971. Three of them died in combat. Only one returned home on Vietnam’s Reunification Day on April 30, 1975. His experience during the 81-day battle in the Quang Tri citadel was unforgettable. In Vietnam, the Scent of Burnt Grass has received a number of prestigious awards including best film and best editor at the 2011 Golden Kite Award.

B: That’s it for today’s Letter Box. Please keep in touch. We really look forward to receiving your comments and suggestions. Our contact address is: The English Program, Overseas Service, Radio Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam.

B: Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.org.vn. And if you miss any of our programs, you can always catch up by logging onto our website at www.vovworld.vn where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Good bye until next time