Kilometer-long line of people waiting to pay their respects to the General Secretary at night

At 9:00 pm on July 25, thousands of people were lining up in front of the National Funeral Home to pay their respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

From 5:45 pm on July 25, the funeral organizing committee began welcoming people into the yard of the National Funeral Home, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong, to pay their respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Dòng người dài hàng km nghiêm ngắn chờ viếng Tổng Bí thư trong đêm- Ảnh 1. — *People come to pay their respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong*

Around the National Funeral Home, authorities have arranged 5 locations for people to wait to pay their respects: the intersections of Lo Duc - Nguyen Cong Tru, Lo Duc - Yec Xanh, Le Quy Don - Nguyen Cao, Tran Khanh Du - Tran Hung Dao, Tran Hung Dao - Tang Bat Ho.

According to Thanh Nien 's records at 8:30 pm, thousands of people were present at the entrance to the Tran Hung Dao - Tang Bat Ho intersection (Hai Ba Trung District). The line of people lined up in two rows, stretching about 1.5 km from the Tran Hung Dao - Tang Bat Ho intersection through Han Thuyen Street and then all the way to Hang Chuoi Street. The authorities and volunteers were directing traffic and ensuring traffic safety in these areas.

At the intersection of Lo Duc and Nguyen Cong Tru streets, people lined up for hundreds of meters, and police had to use a median strip to guide people in to pay their respects.

Ms. Ta Thi Le (77 years old, from Ha Nam ) said she took a bus at 6 am, alone to Hanoi to pay her respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. “When I saw his portrait, I felt very close. Uncle Trong had great contributions to the people and the country, so I brought along a newly composed poem, hoping to read it to his spirit once,” Ms. Le shared.

Dòng người dài hàng km nghiêm ngắn chờ viếng Tổng Bí thư trong đêm- Ảnh 2. — *Ms. Ta Thi Le brought a poem to read at the funeral of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.*

Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Lam Phuong (58 years old, from Thanh Hoa) choked up as she shared that when she heard the news of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's passing, she immediately returned to Vietnam from China to attend the funeral. Although people were not allowed to visit until 6 pm, Ms. Phuong was already at the funeral home since 7 am Leaving the funeral home, she cried and recited the poem she had just composed:

“I have come back here, uncle/ Even though it is a thousand miles away, I am not afraid/ I am only afraid of the injustice of life/ Eternal sleep lulls you/ To the eternal peace”.

Below are some images of people visiting General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong that Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters recorded tonight around the National Funeral Home, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong, Hanoi :