Respect-paying ceremonies held nationwide for Vietnam Party chief

The State funeral for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong began at the National Funeral Hall, No 5 Tran Thanh Tong, Hanoi at 7 a.m. on Thursday.

The respect-paying ceremonies are also being held at the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City and his hometown in Dong Hoi commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi.

The State funeral is being organized by the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, the State President's Office, the Government, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee along with his family.

The delegation from the Party Central Committee, led by Politburo member and State President To Lam, paid homage to the late Party chief.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led the Government delegation to pay tribute to the late Party leader.

President To Lam then led the President's delegation to offer condolences to Party chief Trong’s family.

The National Assembly (NA) delegation, led by NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man, also paid their respects.

Among the former Party and State leaders who paid tribute at the funeral were former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh; former State presidents Nguyen Minh Triet, Truong Tan Sang, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and Vo Van Thuong; former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung; and former Chairmen of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and Vuong Dinh Hue.

Writing in the funeral guest book, President To Lam expressed condolences over the death of Party General Secretary Trong, describing him as a beloved leader of the Vietnamese people, an exceptionally outstanding leader, a steadfast communist Party member, and a shining example of constantly studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics, and style.

Lam noted that Party leader Trong devoted his entire life to the country, the Party, and the people. He made many major contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation, to the international communist movement, and to maintaining regional and global peace, stability, and development.

“The name, career, personality, and great contributions of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong have been deeply imprinted in the hearts of the people, forever preserved in the heroic history of the civilized and heroic Vietnamese people,” he wrote.

On Thursday morning, many foreign delegations from countries and international organisations paid tribute to the late leader.

The respect-paying ceremonies have taken place from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, at the National Funeral Hall in Hà Nội.

The memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday at the National Funeral Hall.

The burial ceremony will take place from 3 p.m. on the same day at Mai Dịch Cemetery, Hanoi.