Rabi Sankar Bosu of India sent greetings on VOV's 77th founding anniversary

B: Javier Álvarez of Chile wrote: “Congratulations on the Voice of Vietnam’s 77th anniversary. Your programs are very interesting and useful. I hope to learn more about the foundation and the development of the Voice of Vietnam.”

A: Bidhan Chandra Sanyal of India wrote: “I love Voice of Vietnam's English section radio program. In my opinion Voice of Vietnam is the best source to know about Vietnam. And congratulations to all Voice of Vietnam reporters, broadcasters, and staff for your tireless efforts to reach audiences around the world every day. “

B: Mr. Sanyal suggested that VOV select the best listener in each language and give them a special award, perhaps based on the number of letters and reception reports they submit.

A: Thank you, Mr. Sanyal, for your suggestions. We will discuss the idea with our management board.

B: This week, we received more than 330 letters and emails from listeners of 34 countries and territories. Along with their congratulations on National Day and VOV’s founding anniversary, many asked about Vietnam’s national flag, the celebration of National Day, and the flag saluting ceremony.

The national flag flies over Nguyen Hue pedestrian street during a football match of Vietnam's national team

A: Vietnam’s national flag – a red flag with a yellow star in the center – is a symbol of national pride. It appeared for the first time during the southern uprising in November, 1940.

B: In March, 1940, the My Tho provincial Party Committee was asked to design a flag for the Indochina Anti-Imperialist United National Front. Mr. Phan Van Khoe, the provincial Party Chief assigned the job to Mr. Le Quang So, who was in charge of the Front’s work in My Tho.

A: Recalling stories heard in Con Dao prison about the first Party Chief Tran Phu who wanted to make a red flag with a yellow star the national flag once the country was independent, So and a Party member from Ba Ria province, designed and created the flag.

B: In July, 1940, at a conference of the Southern Party Committee in Tan Huong commune, Chau Thanh district, My Tho province, their flag was chosen, with the red representing blood, revolutionary enthusiasm, and victory, and the yellow symbolizing Vietnamese people’s skin and the bright soul of the Vietnamese nation.

A: The five-pointed star symbolized the national unity of five social classes: intellectuals, workers, farmers, business people, and soldiers fighting on the same battlefield for national independence and freedom.

B: In August, 1940, Mr. Phan Van Khoe asked the Chau Thanh district Party Committee to make a flag 2.5m by 1.8m in preparation for the Southern Uprising. It was extremely difficult to find enough yellow and red cloth to make the flag, as the authorities had outlawed all trading activities.

A: By November 23, 1940, the flag was flying atop a tree at Long Hung Communal House – the headquarters of the My Tho provincial Uprising Committee.

B: The flag soon appeared across My Tho and was recognized as Vietnam’s national flag in numerous documents of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

A: In recent days, we have been discussing the celebration of Vietnam’s National Day in many of our programs.

At the flag-hosting ceremony (Photo: VNA)

B: In Vietnam, a flag saluting ceremony is held on various occasions at various locations. A flag ceremony on one island is sacred to the Vietnamese people.

A:  A long-held tradition on Ly Son island, Quang Ngai province is a flag ceremony to to pay tribute to soldiers who gave their lives defending Vietnam’s sea and islands sovereignty.

B: 34 border guards, naval soldiers, and coastal police, bring a national flag to Thoi Loi peak, the highest point on Ly Son island for a flag-raising ceremony.

A: The red flag with the yellow star is a sacred symbol of the nation of Vietnam. Solemnly hoisting the national flag is a gesture of national affirmation and respect and an expression of patriotism.

B: It also has the sacred significance of expressing gratitude to the thousands of people who have created, built and defended the nation, especially the martyrs who have sacrificed their lives to ensure independence and freedom of the Fatherland.

A: When the national flag of Vietnam flies during the majestic National Anthem, every citizen is filled with pride, gratitude, and a sense of duty.

Soldiers on Ly Son island perform the flag-raising ceremony (Photo:Vietnam+)

B:  A flag-raising ceremony on an island like Ly Son, which is rich in historical and cultural traditions is rife with meaning.

A: The 250-square-meter flag raised on Ly Son island honors Vietnam and affirms its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

B: On special occasions like National Day, a flag ceremony is often held in front of the President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi.

A: The team in charge of the ceremony, a 34-man guard of honour, represents the first 34 soldiers in the Vietnam People’s Army. The soldiers march in front of the mausoleum, showing their respect for President Ho Chi Minh, who founded the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The flag is raised on Thoi Loi peak (Photo:Vietnam+)

B: When the flag ceremony takes place, the mausoleum’s doors remain open, and President Ho Chi Minh’s immortal words “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom” can be seen. The flag raising ceremony takes place in a sacred, respectful and solemn atmosphere. The national anthem is played during the ceremony. Soldiers of the High Command in charge of protecting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum are proud to take part in the flag ceremony every day. After the flag salute ceremony, people come forward to offer incense to the late President in front of his mausoleum.

A: Jose Ignacio Cos Lezama of Spain expressed his interest in our story about GapoWork which helps businesses achieve digital transformation, and praised it as an excellent idea.

B: VOVWorld has recently launched a new segment called Make in Vietnam, where we introduced Vietnamese ideas, projects, and achievements in going digital toward digital transformation. We hope to provide you a comprehensive view of digital life in Vietnam.

A: We’d like to acknowledge listeners who sent us the many letters and emails or posted comments on our Facebook fanpage, VOV5 English Service.

B: That concludes today’s program. We 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.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs.

A: Check out our VOV Media App, available on both the IOS and Android platforms, to hear our live broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye.