On May 7, 1954, the flag of the Vietnamese People's Army flew on the roof of General De Castries' command bunker, marking the victory of Vietnam's historic Dien Bien Phu campaign. (VNA archive photo)

A: Shivendu Paul of India reported moderate to good reception for our broadcast on the frequency of 7220 kHz with moderate reception.

B: Thank you very much for your report. Najimuddin, of the International DX Radio Listeners Club in India reported listening to our broadcast from 16:00 to 16:30 UTC on the frequency of 7220 kHz and rated SINPO between 4 and 3. He wrote: “I enjoyed some very nice songs. Other programs are always my favorite for reliable information. My question is, “What the biggest tower of Vietnam?”

Landmark 81 at Vinhomes Central Park in HCM City

A: Landmark 81 in Ho Chi Minh City has been the tallest skyscraper in Vietnam for a while. This is a magnificent structure with a total floor area of 141,000 square meters that includes hotels, serviced apartments, ‘officetel’ commercial apartments, shopping centers, bars, restaurants, observation decks, and other amenities.

B: It is currently the second tallest building in Southeast Asia, and the world’s 17th tallest building. It has 81 floors and a gross floor area of 241,000 square meters. According to the designer, the towers structure is inspired by the traditional bamboo bundle which  represents strength and unity in Vietnamese culture.

Landmark 81 boasts a unique design. @tallbuildingsdaily

B: The Landmark 81, which has many outstanding first-time features in Vietnam, not only breaks the record for the highest building in Vietnam but also sets other records such as the highest observation deck in Vietnam, the tallest skyscraper in Vietnam, and the highest bar and restaurant in Southeast Asia. In addition, this is the most luxurious building in Vietnam which was designed by world-renowned architects and consultants. Development was coordinated by Atkins – a company that has frequently designed world-class projects such as the Bahrain World Trade Center, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia, the Lotus Hotel in Shanghai, and others.

A: In addition, it is regarded as Vietnam’s largest green building. The tower’s exterior is made entirely of Low-E glass – the category of glass that provides the architecture with functions such as transmitting light, temperature control, and radiation reduction to allow the interior to receive enough light while also ensuring a fantastic space with a consistent temperature.

B: In his correspondence to VOV this week, Diego Echeverri of Colombia, wrote: “I have listened to VOV over the past 18 years. I have always introduced my hometown to the world and I have had some unique experiences with radio. Thank you – Voice of Vietnam. You are one of the few international media agencies that publish information and images of my homeland. I feel very happy to be a member of the VOV family.”

A: Juan Diez of Santander, Spain commented on Paraguay’s hope to boost economic cooperation with Vietnam. Promoting economic relations with Vietnam is something that the entire Latin American region, including Paraguay, needs to pay attention to.”

B: Juan Franco Crespo of Spain shared his interest in our story about “Lung Lo Pass”, the bloodline of the Dien Bien Phu campaign. “As always, the impressive article brought me back to my childhood, when newspapers in my province reported on the war and the Vietnamese people. This information makes us surprised at the bravery and sacrifice of the Vietnamese army and people in the war to protect their homeland. Long live Vietnam!”

A section of the Lung Lo pass in Van Chan district, Yen Bai province (Photo: VOV)

A: During the Dien Bien Phu campaign in 1954, Lung Lo Pass was one of the vital routes for transporting troops, weapons, and food to the front. To keep transportation undisrupted, sappers and civil engineering units were on duty day and night to clear the road, making a vital contribution to the world-shaking Dien Bien Phu victory 70 years ago.

B: The trail of Lung Lo Pass stretched 120 kilometers over high mountains and across three big rivers – the Chay, the Red, and the Da. Lung Lo Pass, one of the most treacherous sections, had a steep mountain on one side and a deep abyss on the other.

A: 80‑year-old Ha Van Ho of Thuong Bang La Commune, Yen Bai Province, recalled that in early 1953 many sappers and workers slept at his parents’ house while they were building Road 13.

“The people of Thuong Bang La Commune and more than 300 people from other places helped clear the road. They were divided into three units called T100. Each unit had its own mission. The guard unit was in charge of alerting people of approaching enemy aircraft so they could take cover in the shelters. One unit rescued and repaired vehicles which became stuck in the mud. And there was one medical unit that also participated in transporting weapons.” said Ho.

B: More than 124,000 sappers and civil workers used millions of bamboo plants and trees contributed by local people to build the route through Lung Lo Pass in about 200 days. Tens of thousands of trucks, carts, and pack-bikes carried weapons and food to the battle front.

A: These days, many activities are underway nationwide to celebrate the 70^th anniversary of the historic victory which will be covered in our reports. Check it out.

B: This week, Frank Bresonik of Germany asked about Vietnam’s most current popular destinations for foreign visitors to Vietnam. Vietnam is becoming an attractive destination for foreign tourists. Vietnam welcomed more than 4.6 million foreign visitors in the first quarter, doubling the figures of last year.

Some foreign visitors said: “I come to Da Nang whenever I can. Da Nang has many beautiful beaches and an active foreign community. I can do many things I enjoy, such as practicing yoga. It’s easy to go out at night, enjoy live music, see many landmarks, beautiful cities, and people. And the weather is great.”

“I'm actually very impressed with Vietnam. I just arrived in Ho Chi Minh City and haven’t had a chance to visit other places yet but am very impressed with how developed things are here. Of course, I also heard a lot about the kindness of the Vietnamese people and I experienced it many times myself.”

Trang An heritage complex (Photo: Xuan Lam)

A: There are many tourist destinations popular among foreign visitors including Ha Long Bay, and Trang An Heritage Complex in Ninh Binh Province, Da Nang City, and Hoi An Ancient Town in the central region. Then there’s Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong River Delta provinces in the south and particularly Phu Quoc Island in the southern most province of Kien Giang.

B: We have introduced these destinations in previous programs on the “Voice of Vietnam”. Today, we’d like to explore tours by high-end cruises which have recorded particularly strong growth.

A: Since the beginning of 2024, 20 cruise ships have brought some 20,000 visitors to Tien Sa Port in Da Nang  and 15 more cruise ships have brought tens of thousands of visitors to Nha Trang. The Royal Caribbean Group says Vietnam is one of the three favorite destinations of cruises to Southeast Asia.

B: Itineraries for Vietnam Cruises include Ha Long Bay, which offers majestic natural scenery. Ha Long Bay has up to 1,600 islands, large and small, and tourists will have a lot of choices with high-class yachts.

A: Da Nang and Nha Trang are two famous cities with beautiful beaches and blue seas. They are also known as the famous yacht tourism mecca of the Central Region, with the beauty of the enchanting offshore islands and interesting activities such as coral diving and sightseeing, fishing villages, and more.

B: Phu Quoc Island is a dream paradise, where it not only has the most luxurious resorts and world-class entertainment areas but is also the most famous yacht tourism destination in Vietnam. An experience with a yacht here presents very rich and interesting activities such as exploring the waters of the South Island, enjoying delicious seafood, swimming in the clear blue water, and diving and viewing coral.

A: And that’s all we have for today. Thank you all for tuning in to VOV and sending us your feedback. We will answer your questions and feature topics you have suggested in later shows. We always welcome correspondence from you. Goodbye.