A: This year in Vietnam our traditional Lunar New Year festival, in which we use the lunar calendar, is very close to the New Year Festival 2020. That’s why from as early as now, one month before the New Year 2020 and two months before our traditional New Year festival, the festive atmosphere has already begun.
B: At VOV, we have already received seasonal greetings from our listeners around the world. Najimuddin of the International Dx Radio Listeners Club in India wrote: “Wish you a very "Happy Christmas & New Year-2020" in advance to all of you. You are doing such a nice job in keeping us all informed about various events taking place in Vietnam and around the world through your radio broadcast, website and social media. Whenever we need to know about Vietnam we tune in. VOV has become the best choice. Your website and program are a very nice source of information, entertainment and knowledge. Please keep it up.”
A: HM Tarek of Bangladesh and members of his radio listeners’ club sent us seasonal greetings for a Happy New Year 2020. He expressed his interest in the song we played in the Letter Box segment last week.
B: Thank you so much for your greetings and comment on our broadcasts. We hope to continue to receive feedback from you.
 Hoang Lien Son mountain range |
A: Dewan Rafiqul Islam of Bangladesh told us that his Radio Listeners’ Club is now organizing a contest with local listeners asking them about the reason they listen to shortwave radio and the name of their favorite radio station.
B: We think it’s a good idea to organize such a contest because in the context of the rapid development of digital technology and the increasing popularity of social networks, the number of radio listeners has fallen. Radio stations around the world have reformed their programs and ways to interact with listeners in order to keep and attract more listeners. VOV is not an exception. As you know, VOV programs are now available on the internet at vovworld.vn and our app “VOV media”. Our fanpage is on Facebook in the VOV English Section. Through these channels, we hope to reach out to wider audience to bring Vietnam closer to them and interact with more with them.
A: In last week’s Letter Box, we introduced you to Fansipan, the highest mountain in Vietnam and also in Indochina. This week, many other listeners are asking about the biggest mountain in Vietnam.
B: Fansipan is part of the Hoang Lien Son Mountain range in Lao Cai province and is often referred to as the rooftop of Indochina. The Hoang Lien Son mountain range is among the grandest in Vietnam. The mighty range runs a length of 180 kilometers in the northwest of the country through Lao Cai, Lai Chau and Yen Bai provinces.
 Hoang Lien Son National Park |
A: At its foot lie picturesque valleys in which ethnic minorities like the Dao, Tay and H’Mong live. One of them is the lovely town of Sa Pa , which has become a household name in Vietnam as a tourist attraction. Last November the US-based National Geographic magazine listed the mountain range among the best travel spots for 2019.
B: It offers visitors breathtaking views from the roof of Indochina, trekking trips through rugged rocky roads and a glimpse into ethnic minority cultures.
A: For a more challenging option, visitors can choose to explore nature by trekking through Hoang Lien National Park, a nearly 30 hectare reserve lying within the Hoang Lien Son mountain range.
A: In addition to Fansipan, O Quy Ho Pass is another notable destination in the park. It connects Lao Cai and Lai Chau provinces and is one of the most majestic passes in northern Vietnam, offering a panoramic view of the whole area. You can also try a motorbike ride through the villages of Sa Pa for a cultural experience.
 O Quy Ho pass |
B: Today, we’d like to welcome Thomas Bond of the US, a new listener, to VOV. Thomas Bond lives on the East Coast United States. He sent us a letter saying that he is interested in our program and wants to know more about the program and Vietnam.
A: Thank you, Mr. Bond for your letter. We’ll send you our frequency list and program schedule. As we mentioned at the top of the program our program is now also available on the internet at vovworld.vn and mobile app called “VOV media”. We hope that you will tune in to our program regularly and send us your feedback.
B: We’d like to welcome back George Viera of the US, who last wrote to us in 2015. Thank you for coming back after a long time. We’ll send you our frequency list and program schedule and hope to receive regular feedback from you.
A: We’d like to welcome to VOV a new listener, Huang Yao Te of Taiwan, China, who reported listening to our program from 13:30 to 14:00 UTC on the frequency of 12020 khz.
B: Thank you, Huang Yao Te, for tuning in to VOV English program. We’ll confirm your report with a QSL card and send you a frequency list and program schedule. We look forward to hearing more from you.
A: This week, Maria Khanam Moure of Bangladesh told us that he wanted to know about the expat community in Vietnam.
B: Vietnam is very appealing to many foreigners and they end up becoming long-term expats and consider it a second home.
A: Vietnam was voted as the second-best destination for expats to live and work in 2019, as revealed by the latest Expat Insider survey published by InterNations. The country moved up 12 steps in just one year from the 14th out of the 68 destinations last year, said InterNations, the world’s largest expat community with 3.6 million members, in the survey.
B: Expats are particularly happy with their career prospects and their jobs in general in Vietnam, the survey reported. Vietnam is not only the highest-ranking place when it comes to working abroad but it is also the best destination for personal finance, according to the report.
B: Every year, more and more expats come to Vietnam to live, work, and enjoy their lives here. The statistics in 2015 showed that the number of foreign workers or expats in Vietnam was more than 83,000.
A: The expats in Vietnam mostly reside in the major cities of the country such as Ho Chi Minh city, Hanoi, Da Nang and Nha Trang. Vietnam is considered to have a stable political situation without any major political conflicts. In the report released by InterNations, Vietnam is a financial paradise for expats because of the low cost of living. The average cost of living in Vietnam is from 700 USD to 1,400 USD per month.
B: Vietnam is ranked as the first country where expats can easily apply for a job, according to InterNations report in 2018. The most common job for expats in Vietnam is a foreign language teachers. The demand for foreign teachers is very high, ranging from the kindergarten to the university level.
A: Vietnam has become an increasingly favorite destination for foreigners whether their purposes are visiting, working, or living. We hope to welcome our dear listeners around the world to Vietnam.
B: Thank you all for your reports and feedback. We’ll send you QSL cards to confirm. We welcome your feedback at: English Service, VOVworld, the 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 vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs.
A: Check out our VOV Media App, available on both the IOS and Android platform to hear our live broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye until next time.