Hello and welcome to VOV’s Letter Box, our weekly feature dedicated to listeners throughout the world. We are Mai Phuong and Ngoc Huyen.
A: Over the past week, we have received a lot of letters and emails from listeners around the world. Many said they have closely followed news reports on recent developments in the East Sea.
B: Fumito Kokamura of Japan wrote: “I’m very angry about China’s activity in the East Sea. It is a disappointment. I hope for an early resolution to the tension and peace for Vietnam and China”.
A: SB Sharma of India wrote that what China is doing is illegal and a provocation to Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
B: As we have reported in our broadcasts, Vietnam is determined to pursue peaceful means to defend its sovereignty over its sea and islands and we look forward to your support for our stance in resolving the East Sea issue.
Photo:phanmemgiaoduc.info |
A: 64-year-old Mikio Kohara of Japan reported listening to VOV broadcast on May 23 from 11:30 to 11:58 UTC on the frequency of 12020 khz and rated SINPO at 45444.
B: Mikio wrote: “I listened to and enjoyed the English broadcast from Hanoi. Conditions were good for listening. In Osaka, it is now summer with beautiful new green leaves. China has become more aggressive to expand its power to other countries. This is not good. I’ll continue to listen to your English service. Thank you for the service”.
A: This week, we received a beautiful letter from Abdulkalim Ahmed Ali of Libya. He sent us a beautiful postcard and reported that VOV transmission in Libya is very clear and strong, even in the heart of Libya, where he works.
B: Thank you, Abdulkalim Ahmed Ali for tuning in to our programs. We’ll send you a QSL card to confirm your listening.
A: Today, we’d like to send our congratulation to the Bangladesh VOV Listener Club in Natore, Bangladesh. Rajib Kumar Modal, Director of the Club wrote: “Our club has 35 male and 15 female members, who regularly listen to VOV English programs. We will try to recruit new listeners from Bangladesh and send you our listeners’ postal addresses”.
B: Thank you very much for your interest in our broadcasts. We’ll send you QSL cards to confirm your listening and some VOV souvenirs to help you learn know more about our station.
A: Today, we’d like to welcome back Grant Skinner of the UK. It has been a long time since we last heard from you. Grant sent us a reception report of the radio broadcast of May 18 on a 9730 khz frequency at 19:02 UTC. On a Grundig YB 400 with extendable rod, he rated our broadcast at a SINPO of 25332 and then later all 5s. Grant said he found the program interesting and that he looks forward to many more broadcasts from VOV.
B: Grant, we’ll send you a QSL card to verify your listening and hope to hear more from you.
A: SB Sharma of India wrote he found the pictures of a fish praying festival published on the VOV website very beautiful and interesting. The picture shows people dressed in traditional clothes and a sorcerer offering prayers for calm seas, good weather and a good fish harvest. Sharman said he would like to learn more about the fish praying ritual.
B: Fish praying festivals are popular in coastal regions of Vietnam. They are often called Cau Ngu or Whale worshipping festival and reflect people’s desire for peaceful seas.
A: In Hai Thanh commune in Dong Hoi city, people worship the Whale to show their devotion and attract prosperity for the whole village.
B: The festival is often held in the 5th lunar month. A group of 40 young people beat drums and row the boat to the pier, passing various pagodas and temples to reach the Nhat Le estuary. This ceremony is followed by a Bridge Ceremony in which 100 women dressed in traditional long dresses and wearing white ribbons which represent bridges inviting the souls of ancestors home to join the festive atmosphere with their descendants.
A: The festival is observed by everyone in the village as they all wish for moderate weather and good business. Generation after generation, old people teach their children and grandchildren the traditional practices and customs used in the ceremony, to bring up the souls of people who have died at sea or in the mountains to the pagodas and burn fires to warm these souls. It is too cold for them to live under the water and that’s why people have to bring them to the pagoda.
 |
B: The whale worshiping festival is a special community cultural activity. During the festival, in addition to performing Tuong classical opera and chanting melodies, local artists also sing and dance to promote unity between fishermen on a boat to overcome big waves, strong winds and earn bumper catches. A ritual is performed by the local elders at sea to express their gratitude to the whale, commemorate fishermen who have died at sea, and pray for good luck and a good catch. They also pray for good weather, a peaceful sea and the fishermen’s safety.
A: The ceremony often takes place at the beginning of the fishing season. Hai Thanh natives, wherever they are, try to come home to attend this great event. The festival plays an important role in promoting the local cultures and uniting the community.
B: During the festival, the altar is decorated with colourful flags and other accessories. All the families put their offerings on the altars while fishmen decorate their boats with flowers and lanterns. The village chooses the old and good men whose families have not had a funeral to pray to heaven and the god of the sea in Cau Ngu. The chairman gives offerings (the offerings must not be sea products) and reads out the prayers to show the people’s gratitude for the whale’s spirit and for safe fishing journeys and a prosperous and peaceful life.
A: That’s a short take on fish praying festivals in central Vietnam. Time is running out on the Letter Box. We’ll confirm your reports with QSL cards and the gifts you requested: stamp, pictures of Vietnam’s scenic spots, Vietnamese maps, and pictures of President Ho Chi Minh.
B: We welcome your feedback at: English section, Overseas Service, Radio Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.org.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at www.vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Good bye until next time.