B: We’re glad to know you found our program interesting and that it recalled some of your childhood memories. Tug of war is a very popular communal game for children and adults, men and women, big and small, weak and strong. It’s a wonderful team game in which people work together to beat the other team. Many countries have a Tug-of-war Federation.

A: I think we will have an occasion to talk about tug-of-war in later programs if the game is recognized by UNESCO as a world intangible cultural heritage. Here I have a letter from Alan Roe in Middlesex, the UK. He tuned in to our program on May 25 on 9730 khz. He commented that there was a fair signal with a little noise and some rather noticeable signal disturbance. There was no interference from other stations. The overall reception was OK with SINPO rating at 35434.

B: Alan also listened to VOV on 9625 khz and that signal was better with very slight disturbance and slight noise. It was pretty much perfect and easy to hear. Alan said he listened and wrote to VOV on a public holiday in the UK. “In true British tradition, it is a wet and cold day. We visited the annual charity fair on Twickenham Green in the morning and despite the wet weather, it didn’t put everyone off from attending and looking around the various stalls that were there from various local associations. A piece of home-made banana and walnut cake together with a cup of instant coffee was very warming and welcome.”

A: It’s enjoyable to hear about a meaningful holiday where you live where all proceeds from the fair go to charitable causes. Alan told us about his hobby of listening to VOV’s English program: “I enjoyed your features after the news broadcast. There is always something of interest. In particular, I enjoy the Weekend Music feature each Saturday, for example the Song of the sea on May 17^th. My favorite shows continue to be Colorful Vietnam’s delightful stories Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups and the Sunday Show. There is always something different each week. The talk about festivals of the Cham people was fascinating”.

A fish praying ritual in Binh Dinh province

A: Regular listener Fumito Hokamura of Japan writes to us every week. This week he asked about Ho Chi Minh city. It’s really a broad topic so we will just mention a few of the city’s tourist attractions. Ho Chi Minh City city is an attractive mixture of the old and the new, of oriental and western architecture, culture, and lifestyle. There are many high-rise buildings standing next to old buildings from an earlier era which are well preserved and worth visiting to see the French colonial and ancient Buddhist influences.

Ho Chi Minh city Post Office

B:  The Opera House in Ho Chi Minh city is a classic example of elegant French architecture. It’s very close to the City’s famous Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office. The restored three-storey, 800-seat Opera House was built in 1897 and still stages a wide range of performances from opera, ballet, and musical concerts to Vietnamese traditional dances and plays.

A: The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a beautifully preserved construction of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia. The building was designed by Gustave Eiffel – the renowned engineer of the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower – and features arched windows and wooden shutters, just as it did in the late 19th century.

B: Ho Chi Minh City’s Cho Lon is Vietnam’s largest Chinatown, dating back to 1778. The area today is a popular site for those on the tourist trail and also attracts many Taiwanese and Chinese visitors. Cho Lon is an interesting place to see classical Chinese architecture with plenty of Chinese restaurants.

Binh Tay market in Ho Chi Minh city

A: The Cao Dai Temple is another tourist spot. Caodaists believe that all religions are ultimately the same and seek to promote tolerance throughout the world. They worship the Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad and Confucius, as well as Joan of Arc and Julius Cesar. The temple is similar in design to a Christian Cathedral featuring side aisles, an altar, a long central nave, and a high dome decorated with clouds and saints. The main focal point is a Divine Eye symbolising God which has the Ying and Yang icon in its pupil.

B: Besides these attractions in the city center, there are many historical and cultural sites on the outskirts. We will talk about them in another edition of the Letter Box. This week, we received many lovely postcards from many parts of the world. John Burczyk of the US sent us several pictures of Long Island. Now we know a little more about Long Island’s historic sites, farms, wineries, parks, and beaches. There are pictures of the Big Duck in Flanders, Greenport harbor, vineyards, Cutchogue, fields of sunflowers, Peconic, and East Marion.

A: Victor Latavish sent us a postcard of the St. Petersburg pier in Florida, the US. There is also photo of the River Thames at Teddington Lock sent by Alan Roe of the UK, who said this place is about ten minutes walk from where he lives.

B: Thank you for introducing us to some of the fantastic places in your countries. We can travel around the globe looking at your postcards. That’s it for today’s program on VOV. We’ll verify your reception reports and we hope you receive our QSL cards soon. We welcome your letters 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.