 The closing ceremony of SEA Games 31 in Hanoi, Vietnam (photo: Vu Toan/ VOV) |
B: We appreciate the best wishes of our many regular shortwave listeners and online readers: Ejaz Kareem of Pakistan, Vincentiu Daniel of Romania, Farid Rami, Riaz Ahmad Khan, Kalab Abbas, Pradip Kundu, O.P Verma…and others.
A: Many people said they were impressed with the sportsmanship of the Vietnamese fans, who cheered not just for the Vietnamese athletes but also for the visiting athletes from other countries, demonstrating the fairness, solidarity, friendship, and generosity that is the real purpose of the event.
B: Our listeners were interested in the tours of scenic spots and craft villages offered to the visiting athletes and coaches during their stay in Vietnam. Later in this show we’ll talk about Bat Trang ceramic village, a place the athletes visited on the outskirts of Hanoi.
 A bus tour of the Thai sport delegation passes the St. Joseph's Cathedral during SEA Games 31. (photo: VOV) |
A: I’m reading an email from Šimon Kulich of Slovakia, who writes: “I'm glad that I can listen to Voice of Vietnam. I listen to the German, French, Spanish, and English programs. I don't understand French or Spanish, but I could recognize the signature tunes. I listened to the German program on 9730 khz and French, Spanish, and English programs on 11885 khz.”
B: The signal was audible, said Simon. He recorded parts of the programs and sent his recordings to VOV as proof of listening.
A: Abdul Mannan of Bangladesh said he listens to our English program every day. “I listen to the news with great attention because I get accurate and current information. Please include more international news.”
B: Siegbert Gerhard of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, said our programs have a lot of interesting and up-to-date information about Vietnam and other Asian countries. He likes our Current Affairs commentaries and stories about Vietnam’s traditions, customs, and economy.
 A Hanoi city tour for SEA Games athletes passes Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. (photo: VOV) |
A: Machiraju Subba Sreenivasa Raju of India listened to VOV’s English service on a Panda digital receiver Model 6130 on May 23 on 7220 khz. He said the audio was clear with a SINPO rating of 34444.
B: We thank all you listeners for your feedback on our programs’ content and transmission quality. Your opinions are very helpful for us to further improve our programs.
A: Shivendu Paul, President of the Metali Listeners’ Club of India, told us about their annual Listeners’ Meet, which they called Milon Mela, held in Berhampore town of Murshidabad district, West Bengal, on May 15.
B: 150 radio listeners attended the 3rd Meet organized by the Murshidabad Radio Listeners’ Family. The event brought together radio listeners, poets, writers, and radio and TV journalists and announcers from different districts of West Bengal and even from Tripura state.
A: The Murshidabad Radio Listeners’ Family was formed in 2019 to celebrate World Radio Day on February 13. It encourages people to listen to radio, and informs them about the importance of radio in the modern age. Its slogan is “Listen to the radio, love the radio.”
B: The Listeners’ Meet marked the launch of a radio magazine called Betar Bhuban, which publishes more than a hundred radio articles, poems and greetings.
A: Shivendu Paul told us that the Meet included an exhibition of stickers, pennants, calendars, and other souvenirs of international radio stations. Meet participants were given bags, pens, calendars, certificates, mementos, and a light lunch.
B: Our thanks to Betar Bhuban magazine and the Murshidabad Radio Listeners’ Family for their efforts to promote shortwave radio.
A: You’re listening to the VOV Letter Box. Let’s go back to SEA Games 31 which we mentioned at the beginning of the show. During the event, local travel companies organized 28 tours to take visiting sports delegations to cultural and historical sites in Hanoi, scenic spots and ancient villages just outside Hanoi, and attractions in neighboring provinces and cities. There were day tours and weekend trips to Ninh Binh, Ha Long, Sa Pa, and Mai Chau.
B: Tours were conducted in several languages and included a tour called “Decoding the Thang Long Royal Citadel”, a night tour of Hoa Lo prison, and bicycle tours to Bat Trang ceramic village and other craft villages on the outskirts of Hanoi.
A: Listener Uoy Sambiet of Cambodia wanted to hear more about Bat Trang ceramic village’s hands-on experience for visitors.
 Bat Trang Pottery Museum |
B: Bat Trang pottery village is just 13km east of Hanoi’s city center, making it easily accessible by bicycle. Ceramics have been produced in Bat Trang since the 14th century, so it’s considered the cradle of ceramics in northern Vietnam. Bat Trang sits on the bank of the Red River, which has made it very easy for the village to trade its products for hundreds of years.
A: Bat Trang artisans say that the most popular motifs on their products are dragons, the phoenix, couplets, country landscapes, and people at work. These motifs are exquisitely carved or painted, making Bat Trang pottery distinct from the pottery of other villages.
B: Bat Trang products include bowls, cups, plates, pots, and bottles for daily use, as well as worship and decorative items. Nowadays, the artisans use modern techniques and electric kilns to make beautiful, durable products while protecting the environment.
 Bat Trang Pottery Museum has seven interconnected funnel-shaped buildings. |
A: A full-day cycling tour is open to people of all biking abilities and is a great way to experience Hanoi’s outlying area.
B: Your trip to Bat Trang will include a hands-on pottery class led by a local craftsman. At the end of the day you can take home a ceramic product you shaped and painted and glazed and fired yourself.
A: Along the village roads are ceramic stores selling everything from small ceramic charms for necklaces and bracelets to decorative vases and statues several meters high. And the Bat Trang Porcelain and Pottery Market is always crowded with visitors and traders.
B: At the center of Bat Trang village is the unique Bat Trang Pottery Museum, which consists of seven interconnected funnel-shaped buildings, with intricately carved outer walls.
A: The design is said to have been inspired by pottery wheels – the signature tools of potters. From another perspective, it looks like a giant pottery kiln. The construction used a lot of traditional materials such as ceramic tiles, mosaic tiles, and baked tiles.
 Bat Trang's souvenirs of SEA Games 31 |
B: The museum has three exhibition floors. The first floor is for artisans to display their latest and most valuable pieces. It’s a large open space suitable for big events like cultural festivals.
A: The second and third floor display the history of pottery, showing the changes over the years in the colors, shapes, and decorative motifs of ceramic products. The rooftop provides a place to relax and enjoy an overview of the village.
B: Bat Trang pottery village is one of the most interesting destinations in Hanoi, but there are also craft villages that make lacquer and mosaic products, conical hats, bamboo and rattan products, wood products, embroidered silk, and textiles.
A: That’s our brief introduction of Bat Trang ceramic village in response to listener Uoy Sambiet of Cambodia.
A: We thank all our listeners for tuning in to VOV and sending us your feedback. We welcome your comments at English Service, VOVWorld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam.
B: Our email address is: englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online and leave your comments at vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye.