B: Mohamed Elsayed Abd Elraheim of Egypt wrote: “This occasion carries profound meaning. President Ho Chi Minh was a symbol of resilience, dedication, and visionary leadership. His legacy brought the dawn of independence, unity, and sovereignty to Vietnam, paving the way for the prosperous nation we see today. His inspiring life taught the world the true value of determination and patriotism.”
A: On this special anniversary, Mr. Elraheim extended his heartfelt wishes and prayers for the continued progress, peace, and prosperity of Vietnam and its people. He added that he hopes the Voice of Vietnam will continue to serve as a shining beacon of culture and friendship, connecting hearts across borders.
B: A regular listener in Pakistan, Amir Jameel, wrote: “President Ho Chi Minh’s “people-first” ideology emphasized that the strength of a nation lies in the well-being, unity, and empowerment of its people. He devoted his life to national independence, social justice, education, and the improvement of living standards for ordinary citizens. Even today, his ideals continue to guide efforts for progress and prosperity in Vietnam and remain a symbol of patriotism and humanitarian values around the world.”
A: In his correspondence to VOVWORLD this week Bidhan Chandra Sanyal of India wrote a poem about President Ho Chi Minh.
B: We’ll post the full poem on our website. Right now I’ll just read the last 4 lines.
“Across the globe, the hymns of your equality still resound;
O Great Leader, I offer you my myriad salutations.
You are the living embodiment of independence and liberation;
Blessed is this earth, illuminated by the light of your dreams.”
A: Dear listeners, we have carefully read all the messages you sent us, but we don’t have enough time to share them all on the Letter Box. We sincerely appreciate your warm sentiments. Messages like these remind us of the enduring admiration for President Ho Chi Minh and the strong bonds of friendship that radio continues to foster among nations.
B: Here’s a song praising Uncle Ho, the dearest love in the hearts of the Vietnamese people. Throughout his life, he devoted himself to the happiness of the people.
A: You’re listening to the Letter Box on VOV. We’re here every Wednesday to acknowledge the letters and reception reports we received from listeners throughout the week.
B: Nijat Imranli of Germany asked for the online streaming schedule for VOV English 24/7. He said he listens through an internet radio receiver and understands that VOV English 24/7 differs from the world service on shortwave.
A: Thanks for your sharing. The program for VOV5 English 24/7 is streamed on our website at vovworld.vn and on our app VOV Media. We will send you the program schedule to your emails.
B: Imranli shared his thoughts on Vietnam’s growing international broadcasting presence, mentioning Vietnam Today, VTV4, and VOV’s multilingual services. He said Vietnam has one of the region’s major international media platforms and, as Vietnam’s global role continues to expand, its media services should become more accessible to international audiences.
A: He said, “It would be very useful if VOV’s English and multilingual services could become available through additional satellite platforms such as Hotbird at 13° East.”
B: Imranli said this satellite platform is extremely popular in Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus region, the Balkans, Türkiye, Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and the European Union itself.
A: “I sincerely believe that Vietnam’s voice and perspective deserve to be accessible to a potential audience of hundreds of millions of people across these regions,” he said.
B: Thank you, Nijat Imranli, for your suggestions. We’ll seriously consider your idea of expanding the availability of VOV broadcasts to a wider international audience.
A: This week, Vannithong of Laos asked about the lychee season in Vietnam and what countries import Vietnamese lychees.
B: Traditionally, the harvest seasons of Vietnamese agricultural products are based on lunar calendar and accordingly the lychee season is from lunar April to early lunar June. This year, it’s from May to early July, solar calendar.
A: Early-season lychees are harvested in early May, but the peak harvest is usually in June. Two of Vietnam’s most famous lychee-growing areas are Bac Giang and Hai Phong in northern Vietnam.
A: Vietnamese lychees are popular for their sweet flavor and fragrant aroma. One of the best-known types is the Thiều lychee of Luc Ngan commune, Bac Ninh province, and Thanh Hà commune of Hai Phong City. It’s the most popular and widely exported variety. It has a bright red skin, small seeds, dense flesh, and a sweet, fragrant taste.
B: Early-season lychees are harvested before the Thieu lychee, usually in late April or early May. They are grown in several northern localities and help extend the lychee season.
A: In recent years, some farms and agricultural institutes in Vietnam have experimented with hybrid lychee varieties that produce smaller seeds or nearly seedless fruit.
B: Vietnamese lychees are enjoyed fresh, dried, canned, or processed into juices and desserts. They’re exported to many countries, with the major markets being China, Japan, Australia, the US, France, the UK, South Korea, and several countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
A: We encourage you to visit Vietnamese shops or supermarkets in your area, where you may be able to find Vietnamese lychees.
B: This week, we’d like to acknowledge reception reports from Gabriel Vrsaljko of Germany who listened to VOV on 11885 kHz on May 17 and Jonáš Botek, a teenage shortwave listener in Prague, Czech Republic, who tuned in to 11885 kHz on May 4. He reported SINPO on this frequency of 45434.
A: Also tuning in to the frequency of 11885 kHz, Timofeyev Uhra Alexandrovich of Kazakhstan, used a Sony CFS-500L receiver with a telescopic antenna and had a reception with SINPO 42544, indicating generally good reception quality with slight fading and interference.
B: Listening to VOVWORLD on the frequency of 7220 khz, Shivendu Paul of India rated SINPO of 43333 while Amir Jameel of Pakistan reported that SINPO was 4 in all categories, indicating a good-quality broadcast with a strong, steady signal and only slight interference and disturbance.
A: That wraps up this week’s Letter Box. Thanks once again to all our listeners for your warm messages and detailed reception reports. Please keep tuning in to our broadcasts and sharing your comments, stories, and listening experiences with us.
B: Thank you for listening to the Voice of Vietnam. Goodbye!
