Greeting card from Omar Lassas of Algeria

B: For our very first Letter Box of 2023, we’d like to thank you all for supporting VOV for many years and being our faithful listeners and friends.

A: This week, we continued to receive many New Year greetings from listeners around the world. Jayanta Chakrabarty of India wrote: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. It was nice to hear from my favorite station VOV English. Thanks for your Season's Greetings and kind words. I will continue to listen to your useful broadcasts and send you feedback on your programs in the coming days. May the coming New Year 2023 be filled with joy, peace and prosperity for you as well as for all the intelligent and hardworking citizens of Vietnam. With warm regards from India.”

B: We continued to receive regular feedback from Bidhan Chandra Sanyal of India. He sent us a long message featuring New Year’s traditions of many countries around the world.

A: We’re very impressed by your story, Mr. Sanyal, especially the details about New Year’s celebration in the UK and the first visitor of the family which is somehow similar to Vietnamese traditions. Sanyal wrote: “In the United Kingdom, the first man to enter a house after midnight on New Year's Day is said to bring good luck to the house.  During this time, men bring home money, bread, coal and other items as gifts, so that the family members do not lack these things throughout the year.  The first person to enter the house after midnight must not be blonde or red-haired and female.  It brings misfortune to the house.”

B: Or, Sanyal wrote: “In Scotland, everyone cleans their home and prepares for the arrival of the new year.  At this time, juniper branches are burnt. The first person to step into the house on New Year's Day determines the fate of the members of the house that year.”

A: And we’re surprised with the New Year tradition in Korea. “In Korea, no one sleeps during the beginning of the new year.  If you sleep at this time, the eyebrows become white!  At 12 o'clock in the night, the bell was rung 33 times on TV.  It is done in honor of the 33 heroes of Korea.  Almost everyone in Korea watches the sunrise.  One greets the other as the sun shines.”

B: It’s interesting to learn about how the New Year is celebrated in different countries around the world. Once again, thank you, Mr. Sanyal, for sharing the very beautiful story with us.

A: In his correspondence to VOV this week, Amir Jameel of Pakistan wrote “Happy New Year 2023. May the new year bring peace, joy and happiness in the world. May you find success, happiness, and everything your heart desires. Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy New year 2023. With Best Wishes,”

B: Rabi Sankar Bosu of India wrote: “I would like to extend my sincere greetings and best wishes to all VOV's staff and all listeners across the globe and the people of Vietnam for a Happy New Year and Vietnam’s traditional Lunar New Year Festival, Tet, which will fall on 22nd January in advance. Happy Year of the Cat!”

A: We’d like to thank Radhakrishna Pillai N, Muhammad Saleem Akhtar, Israr Ahmad Chaudhary, Ch Faheem Noor, Riaz Ahmad Khan, and Eddy Setiawan for sending us greetings on Vietnam’s selection as one of the world’s 30 most powerful countries by the US News & World Report.

B: With a GDP of over 363 billion USD and a population of more than 98.2 million, Vietnam stands at the 30th position in the rankings, only after Singapore (26th position) among the Southeast Asian countries. Meanwhile, Indonesia is ranked 33rd and Thailand 36th.

A: The US News & World Report's ranking of the world's most powerful countries is based on objective assessments of the level of influence of countries, foreign policies as well as political, economic and military strength of the countries globally.

B: This ranking is part of the annual "World's Best Countries" report, which covers 85 countries based on feedback from 17,000 participants. According to the ranking, the US, China and Russia are the three most powerful countries in the world in 2022.

A: Next, we’d like welcome to VOV and also acknowledge correspondence from Michael Lindner of Germany for tuning in to VOV and sending us beautiful calendars and gifts for the New Year.

B: In his greeting card, he wrote: “Despite the many worrying developments, there were of course also very happy moments that we were able to experience. Let’s welcome the New Year 2023, which hopefully will be a better year. We wish all our friends near and far reflective Christmas season, a happy New Year 2023 and of course the best of health.”

A: In his letter, Mr. Lindner wrote: “Dear friends in the English editorial service of VOV. Although I’m a loyal listener, friend of the German editorial staff of VOV, I’d like to send a reception report for the English language broadcast.  The English language programs can be received here in East Thuringia on shortwave without any problems. I have been listening to the Voice of Vietnam in various languages for many decades. No matter which language section I listen to, it always gives me great pleasure to receive their signals from Hanoi. It’s quite fascinating.”

B: Thank you, Mr. Lindner, for sending us greeting cards for the New Year. We also wish you a very Happy New Year and look forward to receiving more feedback from you.

A: We’d like to welcome Omar Lassas of Algeria to our program. He wrote: “Happy New Year 2023. Dear friends, the English section of the Voice of Vietnam. First of all, I would like to send you my heartiest congratulations and my most sincere wishes on the occasion of the New Year 2023. I wish you a very happy and wonderful new year, to you, your beautiful families, your loved ones and to all the listeners of the English service of the voice of Vietnam. I would also like to take this happy opportunity to thank you for all your efforts throughout this year, to ensure the daily broadcast of your programs, I appreciate all the efforts that allow us to continue listening to our favorite radio station.”

B: This week, VOV received nearly 400 letters and emails from listeners from 36 countries and territories around the world. Many of them mentioned the opening of more walking streets in Hanoi and asked about night life in Vietnam.

A: Vietnam does not currently have an actual night-time economy but there are night-time only activities, namely entertainment facilities, night markets, convenience stores, pedestrian streets and so on, in major cities and tourist destinations, which usually come to an end by mid-night.

B: Statistics by the Ministry of Planning and Investment show that Vietnam has about 20 night markets  serving tourists while about 1,000 of 2,300 convenience stores are open round the clock, mainly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

A: Some night-time activities have become an essential part of local culture and an attraction for tourists. One  prime example is the night markets in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and the pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake at the weekend, attracting about 3,000-5,000 people during the daytime and up to 20,000 at nighttime.

B: Since the opening of pedestrian streets and night markets in 2016, Hanoi has staged more than 300 large-scale cultural events, with the participation of artists from Vietnamese provinces and cities as well as countries around the world. At major events, the crowds gathering in the area can number as many as 30,000.

A: In the south, Ho Chi Minh City is considered Vietnam’s most active city at night with the Ben Thanh Night Market, Nguyen Hue Street and especially Bui Vien Street, which is always packed with people. In this dynamic city, there are also streets where local businesses are mostly open at night, offering food, coffee and art performances.

B: The central city of Da Nang also piloted night-time tourism activities for three main services: food, entertainment and shopping, in order to create new spaces and entertainment models for the sleepless city. Along the coastal streets of Da Nang, night camps, night swimming at the beach, night film screenings and food courts have been put up to keep tourists engaged.

A: In addition, there are a wide range of other activities held on the streets along the Han River, with the highlights being the Dragon Bridge spitting fire and water at 9pm and the Han River Bridge swinging at 11pm.

B: But compared to the world, the night-life in Vietnam has been fledgling and the government plans to develop nightlife to boost domestic consumption and bolster tourism.

A: Thank you all for your interest in VOV and for sending us your feedback. 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.

B: 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!