The gong culture of the Central Highlands is recreated at the Thang Long Hanoi festival 2025

B: That’s right. And this week’s letters and emails carried a great deal of emotion. Many of you wrote to express concern as storms and floods caused serious damage in parts of central Vietnam.

A: Our friend Chinmoy Mahato from India sent a heartwarming message: “We are deeply worried after hearing news reports about record rainfall and devastating floods in central Vietnam. Our radio club is extremely saddened by the tragedy and we are praying for the health and spirit of everyone affected.”

B: Chinmoy, thank you. During natural disasters, messages like yours remind us that humanity has no borders. Radio waves cross oceans, but compassion crosses hearts.

A: Your letter was shared with our newsroom, and many colleagues were touched by it. It’s a reminder that listeners don't just tune in but they care.

B: Next, our long-time listener Jose Ignacio Coz Lezama from Bilbao, Spain, sent this thoughtful reflection: “I want to emphasize the value of the Voice of Vietnam’s broadcasts. VOV’s global, multilingual broadcasts at all hours make listening a meaningful and important experience, full of diversity and creativity. Personally, I've been listening since before 2015.”

A: Jose, what a journey we’ve shared! Your loyalty, more than a decade of listening, is the greatest encouragement. Sometimes people ask us, “Why do you broadcast in so many languages?” And your comment gives the best answer: because every voice in the world deserves a window into Vietnam.

B: And because every listener becomes part of a living bridge of friendship.

A: From Uruguay, Lorenzo Fernández commented on our news report about the recent first Autumn Fair in Hanoi. “Autumn is a beautiful season in Vietnam. The mild climate is most pleasant in autumn. It is the ideal time to hold Autumn Fairs to promote trade and business cooperation. Vietnam is doing its best to attract investment, and such fairs, alongside industrial and commercial zones, will motivate investors interested in Vietnam.”

B: Lorenzo, we’re impressed by how closely you follow Vietnam’s economy. Sharing the same interest, Japanese listener Suzuki Tadashi says he wants to hear more stories about Vietnam’s traditional craft villages.

The  sacred space of the Temple of Literature, the Thang Long – Hanoi Festival 2025 unfolded a vibrant cultural tapestry, where the finest traditional crafts, cuisine, and regional cultures came together, creating an emotional heritage journey in the heart of the capital.

A: Tadashi, thank you! And we agree, pottery, silk weaving, woodcarving, bronze casting… they’re treasures of Vietnamese culture. We have produced a lot of stories about Vietnamese traditional crafts and will continue to cover them in our coming programs. So keep tuning!

B: Like Lorenzo and Tadashi, Phol Phanit of Cambodia wrote to us this week to tell us how captivated he was by the images of traditional Vietnamese handicrafts on our website. “Although I have never been to Vietnam, the images of handcrafted products attracted me. The skill and creativity of Vietnamese artisans are evident in each item. I hope to visit Vietnam one day to experience it directly.”

A: Phanit, we hope so too! This week, in our segment “Colorful Vietnam- Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic Groups,”, we had a beautiful story about the Khmer ethnic people’s handicraft of making hats and masks for folk dancing and traditional theater performances, such as Ro bam and Du ke.

B: The traditional craft of making hats and masks originated over two centuries ago to serve various forms of Khmer folk performing arts, including folk dances, ritual dances, and musical plays.

A: Meritorious Artisan Thach Sang of Giong Luc hamlet, Vinh Long province, once known as the “cradle” of Ro bam art, told us: “In the old days, after harvesting and before the Chol Chnam Thmay New Year celebration, those passionate about Ro bam performance gathered to set up a temporary stage and perform for the villagers. The Ro bam stages were found throughout the region, but Giong Luc hamlet was the most famous hub.”

B: At 70-years-old, Thach Sang still practices dancing every day. He creates new moves, and crafts masks for performing troupes inside and outside of the province.

A: For more about this craft, check out this story on our website vovworld.vn.

B: Irma Gustini from Indonesia wants to know: “Besides strawberries, what specialties does Đà Lạt have that visitors shouldn’t miss?”

A: Oh, Irma, Da Lat is a whole garden of delights! Besides its famous strawberries, Da Lat is known for artichoke tea, mulberries, avocados, passionfruit, sweet Đà Lạt milk, and crispy dried fruits. There’s also a dish called “banh trang nuong”, sometimes called “Vietnamese pizza,” a street food icon of the city.

B: And since Da Lat has cool weather year-round, even its lettuce tastes like it grew in spring.

B: Listener Andreas Fessler from Dresden, Germany wrote to share his delight at winning a prize in the “What Do You Know About Vietnam?” contest. But he added: “This contest takes place only once every five years — too rarely! Occasional prize quizzes would attract more listeners.”

B: Andreas, we love your idea! Radio is more fun when it’s interactive. We’re discussing ways to offer smaller but more frequent quizzes. Stay tuned.

A: From Laos, Khamla asks: “Has Sapa had snow yet? I want to conquer Fansipan.”

A: Not yet, Khamla, but snow in Sapa usually arrives between December and January. And climbing Fansipan, whether by hike or cable car, is an unforgettable experience. On clear days, the view looks like a sea of clouds rising beneath your feet.

B: When you reach the summit, the wind carries a cold purity that feels like touching the sky itself.

A: Listener Chanthima from Laos asks: “Which city has a larger population, Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi?”

B: Ho Chi Minh City currently has the larger population following its merger with Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Binh Duong province. It now has 14 million residents, compared to around eight million in Hanoi. But both cities are vibrant in their own ways: Hanoi is rich in heritage, while HCMC is dynamic, modern, always in motion.

A: What an inspiring week of letters. From sympathy during the floods to economic reflections, cultural curiosity, and thought-provoking questions — every message brings Vietnam closer to the world.

B: Chinmoy, Jose Ignacio, Lorenzo, Phol, Sambath, Chris, Irma, Andreas, Khamla, Chanthima, Tadashi, and everyone else who wrote, thank you for making Letter Box a living conversation.

A: Keep your letters and emails coming. Every word you send is read, appreciated, and treasured. We are Kim Chi and Nhat Quynh, wishing you peace, warmth, and good listening from Hanoi.