B: The prizes cover round-trip flight tickets between the winner’s country and Vietnam, eating, traveling, and accommodation to tourist places in Vietnam. For the last question, you should estimate the number of people participating in this contest. It’s a tie-breaker question. If there is more than one best entry, the person who makes the best estimate will win.

A: It’s a tough question, isn’t it? You should take into account listeners to all twelve of our foreign language broadcasts. Please remember that entries should be postmarked between February 1 and June 30, 2015. That means you have 4 more months. Entries can be sent via postal mail or via email to vovworld@vov.org.vn. Hints and useful facts will be included in our radio programs and on our website at vovworld.vn.

Vi Giam folk singing received the UNESCO certification as a humanity’s intangible cultural heritage in 2014

B: You can find all the information you need for your answers on our website www.vovworld.vn. In the future, we’ll broadcast articles specifically intended as references for you.

Trang An Relic Complex was recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural and natural heritage site in 2014

A: Shohel Rana of Bangladesh said he is a regular listener to VOV’s English program and reader of VOV’s website. He will participate in the quiz and hopes to win a trip to Vietnam.

B: We wish you all the best of luck, Shohel. Amir Jameel of Pakistan told us: “It’s great news for the listeners of VOV around the globe. Our club members will participate with zeal and zest. I told many radio listeners in Pakistan about VOV’s quiz. I’m sure the VOV English service will receive the highest number of entries from Pakistani listeners.”

A: Thank you very much Amir. It’s great to know that you’ll help promote our quiz among Pakistani DX’ers. We expect a lot of entries from Pakistan. You said you called us many times but could not reach us. The two phone numbers you called are not ours. Please call our English office at 84-4-38254482. These phone numbers are of VOV’s printed and online newspapers. Please note that we are the world radio service and our website is vovworld.vn. There we provide phone numbers of all twelve language sections and the leaders.  

We thank Denis Ironman for sending us these lovely gifts from the UK

B: This week we got an email from Larry Zamora, a new listener from the US state of Texas. He wrote: “I had the pleasure of listening to your English language shortwave broadcast last night, January 22. This is my first encounter to hearing your program. I was pleased that reception was good. I use a Sangean ATS 909 portable radio with an outdoor random length long wire antenna.”

B: You’re welcome to VOV’s listeners’ network, Larry. Thank you for listening and sending us your feedback. We’ll send you our frequency list and program guide to make it easider to tune in to our channel. You can also listen to a simultaneous broadcast on the internet.

A: I’m reading an email from Enzo Pistone of Italy, who listened to our program on January 18 from 18:00 to 18:30 UTC. The signal on 5955 khz was good, with SINPO at 55434. Enzo uses a PLL-all band Radio Shack Realistic DX 392. It has a digital display reader and telescopic antenna. Under good listening conditions, Enzo noted down all details of the program and we’ll definitely send a QSL card to confirm it.

A feast to the Kitchen Gods

A: We’re in the last days of the twelfth lunar month. Today Vietnamese people will perform the ritual of worshiping the Kitchen Gods, two male Gods and one Goddess, who are considered representatives of the Heaven God in every family. They reside in the house to protect the house’ owners and supervise the family during the year. On the 23^rd day of the last lunar month, they fly to the heaven to report to the Jade Emperor.

B: Because they will go to the heaven to report on the family’s behavior and achievements during the previous year, we have to prepare a feast to thank them for protecting the family the whole year and ask them to continue supporting the house’s owners. A feast for the Kitchen Gods depends on the family’s circumstances. The most important thing is the sincerity of the owners, demonstrated by offering the best food they have to the Kitchen God.

Offering to the Kitchen Gods placed in front of the traditional altar of Vietnamese people at the Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi

A: Whether you believe it or not, a hearty meal will move the Kitchen Gods and they will not report your bad deeds to Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor will judge the family by the report and dispense punishments and rewards in the coming year. What the Kitchen Gods report to the Jade Emperor will impact the family. We prepare a full feast to please the gods hoping they’ll put in a good word for us.

B: I’m sure everyone believes it. The offering normally includes lanterns and incense, flowers, fruit, pork pie, square sticky rice cakes, rice, salt, tea, wine, and votive papers that represent carps and Kitchen God clothing.

A: Carps are the means for the Kitchen Gods to ride to Heaven. Traditionally Vietnamese have used real carps and released them into rivers and ponds. Now most families use paper carps and burn them together with the other votive papers.

B: The farewell ceremony for the Kitchen Gods marks the beginning of the Spring Festival. In the week leading up to Tet, we clean the altar and house, decorate the house with flowers and Tet pictures, try to complete all work, and give Tet gifts to our grandparents, parents, and relatives.

A: Here at VOV, we are busy preparing a special program for Tet, covering all social aspects such as Vietnamese Tet traditions and customs and how foreigners living in Vietnam celebrate Tet. We hope you’ll find our stories interesting.

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. Tune in to our English program on the Internet at vovworld.vn.  Good bye. See you next time.