B: Many of the entries are illustrated or include accompanying materials which make them more impressive. If you emailed your contest entry, we encourage you to also send us a hard copy that includes all illustrations and other accompanying materials.
A: Don’t worry about the late arrival of your hard copy if we have already received your entry via email. We just would like to have a beautiful hard copy of each illustrated entry now that many countries are beginning to get the COVID-19 epidemic under control and international flights are resuming.
B: This week, we received an entry from Sanusi Isah Dankaba of Nigeria with a slogan for the fight against COVID-19.
A: We’d like to acknowledge entries received from Mr. Fachri of Indonesia and Ms. Urbosy Farhana of Bangladesh for our “What do you know about Vietnam?” contest. Ms Farhana told us that, thanks to her friend Mr. Ashik Eqbal Tokon, she resumed listening to VOV after a 15-year hiatus and she was happy to participate in our contest.
B: Mr. Shariful Islam of Bangladesh also submitted an entry this week.
A: On behalf of the VOV Spectators’ Association of Bangladesh, Mr. Jamal Ahmed Subarno sent in a contest entry, writing: “This is my first email to you, but I have been listening to you since 2005. Our club members are very happy to take part in your wonderful contest “What do you know about Vietnam?”
B: We’d like to thank you all for participating in our contest. We appreciate your efforts to make your entries informative and interesting.
A: The Voice of Vietnam will celebrate its 75th anniversary on September 7. We’ve been receiving congratulations already from listeners around the world, including Eti Mone, Karniz Fatema, Nusrat Jahan, Zosna Rahman, Rosina Akter, Tajrin Ahmed, Miss Mariya, and SB Sharma.
B: SB Sharma wrote: “Congratulations and best wishes to the Voice of Vietnam on your 75th anniversary. On September 7, 1945, the Voice of Vietnam aired its first broadcast in English. Since then it has continued to broadcast and has expanded to 12 other foreign languages. I hope VOV’s journey of sustainable development will continue. VOV is a special radio station that continues shortwave transmission. We’re happy to see your presence on Facebook and other digital platforms. The future is yours, as you have a very dedicated, hard-working team and supportive management. Happy 75th Anniversary! May you lay a solid foundation for centuries.”
A: We really appreciate your support for the Voice of Vietnam and its English Section. We promise to do our best to keep giving you the best possible information service.
B: This week, we’d like to welcome to VOV Jason Francis of Canada, who listened to the Voice of Vietnam for the first time on July 13 on the frequency of 7315 khz. He wrote: “I enjoyed your news-based program for its content and educational value. I’m impressed with your programming. I will be listening regularly.”
A: Mr. Francis expressed his interest in our stories about celebrating the 25-year anniversary of normalizing Vietnam-US diplomatic ties, a dancer who promotes traditional culture by teaching children to play the gong and the clarinet, the first limb transplanted from a living donor, and a visit to a Vietnamese cemetery by a US diplomat.
B: Thank you, Francis, for tuning in to VOV’s English program. We’ll send you a QSL card to confirm your report.
A: We’d like to say hello to Bret Pollack of the US, who reported listening to our broadcast for the first time on July 29th from 00:00 to 00:23 UTC on the frequency of 7315 khz.
B: In a letter to VOV, he wrote: “Over twenty years ago, I was very active as a shortwave listener. Then kids and life seemed to get in the way. Curiosity led me back to see what was still on shortwave. It was wonderful to hear VOV on the air. Congratulations on Vietnam’s 25th anniversary in ASEAN. The story on COVID-19’s impact on the textiles industry was great and well done. Thank you.”
A: Thank you, Mr. Pollack, for tuning in to VOV and sending us your reception report. We’ll send you an e-QSL card to confirm it.
B: We’re very sorry to inform listeners on the East Coast of the US that on September 1st we will temporarily halt broadcasting on the frequency of 7315 khz because of technical problems. We hope you’ll continue to listen to VOV’s English programs on the internet at vovworld.vn or on our mobile app at VOV Media. We hope to continue to serve as a bridge linking Vietnam with our many international friends and as a window on Vietnam, its land and its people.
A: We have multiple letters here from Fumito Hokamura of Japan, one of our regular listeners. Mr. Hokamura listened to our broadcasts on the frequency of 12020 khz on July 21st, July 30th, and August 1st and rated SINPO between 3 and 5. In his letters, he expressed his interest in the cultures of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities, particularly their folk songs.
B: Mr. Hokamura, thank you for listening to VOV for several years. Today we’d like to tell you about Then singing, which in 2019 was named to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity.
 Then singing, is practiced in many northern provinces and in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak |
A: Then singing, an integral part of the spiritual life of the Tay, Nung, and Thai ethnic groups, is practiced in many northern provinces and in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Those ethnic groups believe Then singing was handed down from a God who lives in a mysterious world which only “Ong Then” and “Ba Then” (Mr. and Mrs. Then) can contact.
 Then singing was named to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity .in 2019 |
B: During rituals, performers representing “Ong Then” and “Ba Then” sing and play a musical instrument while presenting offerings to the God on behalf of the community and asking him for good health, bumper crops, happiness, and long life.
 Then singing, is practiced in many northern provinces and in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak |
A: Then singing is traditionally accompanied by a handmade gourd lute called a Dan Tinh or Tinh Tau. Then singing is often used by the ethnic groups as a therapy which, together with medicine, can ease the suffering of patients and the worry of their families.
B: Today, we’d like to acknowledge emails and letters from Holger Wolf of Germany, Grant Skinner of the UK, Siddhartha Bhattacharjee of India, and Saif Ahmed Utsha of Bangladesh. We thank you all for sending us your detailed reception reports. We’ll confirm them with e-QSL cards.
B: We welcome your feedback at: English Service, VOVWorld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at our new email address: englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs.
A : We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening.