B: Johnny Antonio Ramírez López of Lima, Peru, commented on the exhibition in Hanoi of 18 handmade ceramic Pucara bull statues, a symbol of Peru. The exhibition was the first in a series of activities to mark 29 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Peru.
At the opening ceremony of the exhibition, Peru’s Ambassador to Vietnam Augusto Morelli Salgado said: “The bull art works by two talented artists Le Huy and Tran Anh Tuan are strongly symbolic of the two countries. The Embassy is honored to add some of their works to the national collection titled "Pucará Bull Around the World.”
A: Mr. Lopez said: “What a wonderful experience that further unites our cultures. I hope there will be more cultural projects and the friendly, cooperative relationship between Peru and Vietnam will be continuously strengthened."
 The exhibit of Pucara bulls in Hanoi on September 18, 2023. (Photo: VOV) |
B: Michael Lindner of Gera, Germany told us that the media in Germany reports very few stories about Vietnam. He considers VOV the number 1 channel for information about Vietnam, and said he’s very happy VOV maintains its shortwave broadcasts. The programs, he says, are informative and interesting and cover diverse topics about the people and culture of Vietnam. Every time he listens to VOV, he wants to travel to Vietnam.
A: Our listeners were also interested in the results of the Vietnamese athletes attending the 19th Asian Games in China, where 45 countries and territories are competing.
B: Ashik Eqbal Tokon of Bangladesh said: “Congratulation on the victory of Vietnamese shooter Pham Quang Huy. His gold medal is a historic achievement for Vietnam, and it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Vietnamese sports community.”
A: Ashik is a frequent listener to the VOV English Service. He writes to us almost every day. Thank you very much, Ashik, for sharing your views on VOV’s programs and events happening in Vietnam.
B: As of Wednesday, the Vietnamese athletes win 19 medals, including 2 gold, 4 silver, and 14 bronze medals. On Wednesday, the four-member Vietnamese women's sepak takraw squad won a gold medal on Wednesday at the ongoing 19th Asian Games (ASIAD 2023) in Hangzhou city of China's Zhejiang province. This is the second gold medal Vietnamese athletes have secured at ASAID 2023. Marksman Pham Quang Huy took a gold for Vietnam in the men's 10m air pistol on September 28.
 Vietnamese women's sepak takraw squad win a gold medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou city, China's Zhejiang province. (photo: Hoang Linh/VNA) |
A: Here’s an email from John Zachary Alvarez of the Philippines, who tuned in to VOV’s English program on the frequency of 11885 kHz on September 21. He used a Sihuadon D-808 receiver and rated SINPO 55545.
B: He said: “I'm very happy listening to shortwave stations around the world, especially the VOV5 World Service. My reception of this frequency today was very good, with only slight propagation or fade.
A: Muhammad Aqeel Bashir of Pakistan emailed us to say that he is interested in the diverse topics covered by VOV, which have enriched his understanding of Vietnam and its global perspective. “Your efforts have not only educated but also entertained me, making your broadcasts an integral part of my daily routine,” Bashir said.
B: Bashir said he is interested in collecting international postage stamps. VOV will send you some stamps of Vietnam and other countries that we have collected from letters from other listeners.
A: Now let's talk a bit about Vietnamese postage stamps that were published to mark major events this year.
B: Each year, the Vietnam Stamps Company publishes several sets of stamps. The latest set, issued on September 23, features terraced fields, a form of wet rice cultivation on mountainsides that involves a clever system of irrigation.
 The stamps of Vietnam's terraced fields (photo: vietnamstamp.com.vn) |
A: Terraced fields can be found in Vietnam’s Northwest, Central Highlands, and Northern and Central midlands. Large-scale terraced fields like the Mu Cang Chai fields in Yen Bai province, the Hoang Su Phi fields in Ha Giang province, and the fields surrounding Sapa in Lao Cai province present a magnificent beauty and have become famous tourist destinations.
B: The Ministry of Information and Communications issued a postage stamp celebrating "50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Australia”. The stamp features the lotus, the national flower of Vietnam, and the yellow acacia of Australia.
 One in the set of 5 stamps featuring bats (photo: vietnamstamp.com.vn) |
A: A set of 5 stamps featuring bats was issued in August by the Ministry of Information and Communications. Bats are second only to rodents in number of species. Bats are the only true flying mammals and their maneuverability while capturing insects on the wing is astonishing. Bats belong to the mammalian order Chiroptera, which means “hand-wing”.
B: More than 120 species of bats can be found in Vietnam. The stamps show images and habitats of some bat species in Vietnam to introduce Vietnam’s biodiversity and natural environment and raise public awareness about the conservation of bat species.
A: The stamp sets are sold at the Vietnam Stamps Company and Post Offices nationwide.
B: I’m reading an email from Siddhartha Bhattacharjee of India, who listened to VOV’s program on September 26th on the frequency of 7220khz. He noted that the signal was weak and rated SIO 433.
A: Thank you very much for sending us a recording of the program. It’s useful for our technicians.
 A dragon dance at the Hanoi Autumn Festival (photo: VOV) |
B: Mr. Bhattacharjee asked: “Does Vietnam celebrate World Tourism Day on September 27th? How many foreign tourists visited your country last year?”
A: Yes, Vietnam responded to World Tourism Day 2023, which had the theme "Tourism and Green Investment". World Tourism Day is a global event held on September 27th every year to raise awareness of the role, position, and cultural, economic, social, and political importance of tourism.
B: According to the General Statistics Office, in 2022 Vietnam welcomed 3.7 million international visitors. South Korean tourists accounted for the largest share, 26%. The US ranked second with 9%. Cambodia, Laos, and India also sent a lot of visitors, rebounding strongly from 2019.
B: Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Doan Van Viet said that, as in other Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam’s tourism industry has proven to be an important economic sector.
 A parade of women wearing Ao dai at the Hanoi Autumn Festival (photo: VOV) |
A: Vietnam’s target is 110 million tourists this year – 8 million foreigners and 102 million domestic tourists. Vietnam expects to earn 27.3 billion USD in tourism revenue in 2023.
B: Vietnam has launched a Tourism Marketing Strategy for 2030, a project to use technology to develop smart tourism and promote green tourism as an economic growth driver, as well as another project to develop community-based tourism.
A: The Vietnam Tourism Association collaborates with tour operators, tourism service providers, accommodations, and localities nationwide to promote tourism in key markets like ASEAN, Australia, Europe, and North America.
B: Thank you all for your interest in VOV, for sharing your love of Vietnam, and for sending us your feedback. We hope to see you soon in Vietnam.
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 englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs.