Endless streams of people mourn Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong

The respect-paying ceremony for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong continued at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and his hometown in Dong Hoi commune of Hanoi’s Dong Anh district on July 26 morning, with seemingly endless flows of people coming from far and wide since early morning to bid the last farewell to the leader who has dedicated his all to the nation and its people.

People paying respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VNA)

On July 25 evening, due to large numbers of people waiting to pay their last respects to the General Secretary, the time for respect paying at the National Funeral Hall was extended until midnight, while the ceremonies at Thong Nhat Hall and in his hometown were extended to 11pm, instead of the previously announced 10pm, in order to provide the best possible conditions for the public.

Among people queueing up near the National Funeral Hall, teacher Dang Thi Thu Huong from Van Yen Primary School in Hanoi’s Ha Dong district, said that she arrived at Han Thuyen Street at 11pm the previous night (July 25) to pay her respects to the General Secretary. Noticing the increasing number of people arriving from all directions, Huong decided to stay and wait through the night instead of going home. She shared: “There are so many people from distant provinces waiting in line. We shared pictures of the General Secretary and stories about him as well as his teachings to pass the time. Everyone is eager to pay their respects to the General Secretary.”

Then Trung Thanh, a 17-year-old Nung ethnic minority boy, has travelled 340 km all by himself from the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang to Hanoi to pay his respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. He shared that early on the morning of July 24, he prepared a few sets of clothes and some money and took a bus to Hanoi. On July 25, upon arriving in the capital city, Thanh immediately took a bus to the late leader's hometown in Lai Da village, Dong Hoi commune. After paying his respects in Lai Da village, Thanh went to the National Funeral Hall, wishing to pay respect to the leader for the second time. The Nung boy also plans to go to Mai Dich cemetery in the afternoon to see the General Secretary off for the last time.

From the early morning on July 26, thousands of people already gathered in front of the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City to say goodbye to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. In addition to residents in the city, there are many people coming from other localities in the southern region. Some people had travelled hundreds of kilometers, many came in the middle of the night, and others had to travel the day before. Tears, sorrow, and mourning have overwhelmed the Thong Nhat Hall.

Tran Thi Thu Trang, with a bouquet of white lilies that she personally brought from her hometown in her hands, said that the afternoon before, she travelled from the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang to Ho Chi Minh City and stayed at a relative's house to ensure she could arrive at the hall by 6am to pay her respects to the nation's esteemed leader. An active member of the Women's Union, Trang shared she has closely followed the activities of the General Secretary over the years and have deep admiration for a person who dedicated his all life to the country and its people.

From Long Thanh district, Dong Nai province, on July 26 morning, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tham brought her two children, aged 7 and 5, to Ho Chi Minh City to pay their respects to the late leader. Tham recounted that one day earlier, she had paid her homage to the General Secretary alone, but after returning home and telling her children about it, they expressed a desire to go with her to pay respects to him. Having been born into a family with a revolutionary tradition, she deeply values and appreciates those who have dedicated their efforts to the country and its people, said Tham. By bringing her children to pay their respects to the General Secretary, the woman showed her hope that her children will also understand and appreciate these sacred values.

In the late leader’s hometown, Ngo Thi Ngoc Ly, a volunteer serving the funeral services, stated that on July 25 evening, not only residents of Dong Anh district but also many people from other regions across the country came to Lai Da to pay their respects to the deceased.

Joining the line of people paying homage to the Party leader on the morning of July 26, some women in traditional Tay ethnic minority costumes from the northern border province of Lao Cai offered incense to bid their last farewell to the esteemed General Secretary. Luong Ngoc Ha shared that at midnight on July 25, they gathered and boarded a bus to the capital city, arriving at the General Secretary's hometown at 6am.

'Our delegation consists of 37 people from Chieng village, Cam Duong commune, Lao Cai province. We all admire and deeply respect the character and personality of the General Secretary. Although we had never met him in person, when we heard of his passing, everyone was choked with emotions and sorrow. Many elderly individuals wanted to come to pay their respects but could not due to health reasons, so we came on their behalf to express our heartfelt gratitude and respect for a leader who dedicated his life to the nation and its people,' Ha shared./.

VNA