From 4 a.m. on July 25th, people flocked to locations such as the National Funeral Home (No. 5, Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi ); Lai Da village, Dong Hoi commune, Dong Anh district; and the Reunification Hall (Ho Chi Minh City)... to have the opportunity to light incense and pay respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
The General Secretary 's teacher: "I couldn't sleep all night..."
From early morning, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Son, former lecturer in the Faculty of Literature at Hanoi University, came to the National Funeral Home to bid farewell to his student, Nguyen Phu Trong.
Professor Son was a student in the first cohort of the Literature Department at Hanoi University. He was also a lecturer assigned to accompany the 8th Literature class, the class that included student Nguyen Phu Trong, during their evacuation to Dai Tu district, Bac Thai province (now Thai Nguyen ) in 1965.
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| Teacher Nguyen Ngoc Son. |
He shared emotionally, "I haven't slept for several nights. For months now, I've been constantly asking my former students about Trong's health. When I heard the news of his passing, I was shocked. Today, I went with the 8th graduating class of literature students to bid farewell to Trong. We have lost a dearest friend, both teacher and students."
At 7 a.m. this morning, the General Secretary's classmates from the Faculty of Literature, Class 8, Hanoi University, met at the corner of Tang Bat Ho Street. Professor Nguyen Ngoc Son was moved to see his former students again. From now on, in these teacher-student reunions, the friend Nguyen Phu Trong will no longer be present.
Holding his teacher's hand, Mr. Phan Van Kinh said that the Literature Department, class of 8, had many registered, but only 20 people were allowed to pay their respects to the General Secretary. Standing and waiting with his fellow classmates, Mr. Kinh choked up as he said: "I am deeply saddened by the loss of a fellow student who respected his teachers, valued his friends, and was as humble and simple as the General Secretary. Today, we only want to offer incense to bid farewell to our friend as he goes to his final resting place."
Despite her advanced age and declining health, Distinguished Teacher Tran Ngoc Thao (87 years old), former Principal of the Hai Phong School of Culture and Arts, left Hai Phong early this morning for Hanoi to pay her respects to her friend.
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| Distinguished Teacher Tran Ngoc Thao (center) and her classmates and son pay their respects to the General Secretary. |
According to Mr. Thao's recollection, the General Secretary never distanced himself from his classmates. "We were very impressed by his words: 'Wealth and fame are like fleeting clouds, but friendship and human connection last forever.' After saying that, he raised his arms as if embracing us, which was very moving. He came to us like a distant relative, enthusiastically remembering each of our names, recalling school memories, and remembering our mischievous pranks."
Hearing the news of Mr. Trong's passing was like a bolt of lightning to us, leaving us completely numb. His passing means the loss of a great friend, and the loss to the Party and the people is immeasurable. From now on, class reunions will be without him. Words cannot adequately express this loss. Those who remain will never forget him. Mr. Trong was a model of a cultured person. Whenever we met him, we always saw his warm smile and his approachable nature, connecting him with both the people and international friends.
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| Professor Nguyen Ngoc Son and his classmates from the Faculty of Literature, Class of 8, Hanoi University, pay their respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. (Photo: DUY LINH) |
"From afar, we have come to pay our respects to you, to light incense one last time to bid you farewell to the eternal realm, and to rest assured that the Party and the people will continue the path you have taken, and our country will surely prosper. We are deeply saddened to lose our great friend," Uncle Thao said, his voice choked with emotion.
Mr. Thao also recited two lines of poetry to bid farewell to his friend:
"The brave furnace operator is gone."
What a pity for the noble spirit of the Northern Vietnamese scholars!
With graying hair, he was deeply concerned about the nation's affairs.
A life of exemplary conduct, integrity, frugality, and diligence…
In England, at the last moment, tears welled up in their eyes, filled with sorrow.
Rest in peace in the realm of eternal life.
The party is following the path that Britain has planned.
Together with the people, we will build a strong and prosperous nation .
Thousands of people wept as they bid farewell to the General Secretary.
In Lai Da village, Dong Hoi commune, Dong Anh district (Hanoi), thousands of people gathered at the village's cultural center early in the morning to prepare for the memorial service for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
Mr. Nguyen Van Tue, now 93 years old, looks even older after the grief of his loss. He shared: "I haven't been able to sleep for the past few nights. After receiving the news of the General Secretary's death, not only I but all the people of Lai Da are deeply saddened. This morning, despite my weakness, I went alone to the memorial service area at 4 a.m., leaning on my cane, before anyone else arrived."
"Lai Da village gave birth to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, a son who wholeheartedly dedicated himself to the country and the people. Therefore, we deeply mourn his passing," said a former Party member from Lai Da village.
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| Mr. Nguyen Van Tue is 93 years old this year. |
Recalling the times the General Secretary visited Dong Hoi, Mr. Tue said: General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was always approachable and down-to-earth.
"Every time he returned to his hometown, upon reaching the village gate, the General Secretary would get out of the car and walk, stopping by the homes of the elderly villagers to inquire about their health," the old man recounted.
Present at Lai Da, Mr. Vuong Khac Duy (83 years old) sat in his old wheelchair. Mr. Duy was a classmate of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at Dong Hoi for the first four years of primary school.
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| Mr. Vuong Khac Duy (83 years old) sat in a wheelchair to pay his respects to the General Secretary. |
Mr. Duy said: "Hearing the news of my childhood friend's death, I was very sad. Therefore, this morning, I asked my son to take me to Lai Da village at 5 a.m. to wait for my turn to pay my respects."
At 4 a.m. this morning, Ms. Doan Thi Ngoc Lan (65 years old, a member of the Veterans Association of Vong Xuyen village, Phuc Tho district, Hanoi) walked to the intersection of Tran Thanh Tong and Tran Hung Dao streets and stood waiting, her eyes fixed on the National Funeral Home.
Holding her phone in her hand, tears welling up in her eyes from grief, Mrs. Lan suppressed her sorrow and said, “I came down yesterday and rented a room here so I could be here early to queue up to pay my respects to the General Secretary. I was here with my colleagues from 4 a.m. I deeply admire the General Secretary for serving the people until his last breath. I still vividly remember the heartfelt and moving words of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong: 'If you are a flower, be a sunflower / If you are a bird, be a white dove / If you are a stone, be a diamond / If you are a person, be a communist!'"
"My camera contains many photos of the General Secretary. I cried every day after hearing the news of his passing. I only wished to be able to bid him farewell to his final resting place, to rest in eternal peace," Ms. Lan expressed.
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| Ms. Doan Thi Ngoc Lan (65 years old, a member of the Veterans Association of Vong Xuyen village, Phuc Tho district, Hanoi) was overcome with emotion. |
Leaving Hai Phong at 3 a.m. for Hanoi, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Muu's family (born in 1949) arrived very early at the beginning of Tran Thanh Tong street. Wiping away tears, Mrs. Muu said through sobs, "The General Secretary was a leader with a heart and vision for the country, wholeheartedly dedicated to the people, so for the past three days we have only hoped to pay our respects to him. If I have to wait until the afternoon, I will wait."
Ms. Bui Thi Thanh (67 years old, a member of the Muong ethnic group from Yen Thuy district, Hoa Binh province), former Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, has also just returned to Hanoi from Hoa Binh.
Silently gazing at the inscription "Deeply mourning Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong - General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam" in the funeral home, Ms. Thanh, suppressing her emotions, shared that during her career, she had the opportunity to interact with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. What impressed her most was his approachable and affectionate demeanor.
“During his work, he demonstrated a very high degree of democracy. He cared deeply for and looked after the ethnic minority communities, and wherever he went, he was welcomed and loved by them. Upon hearing of his passing, we were deeply saddened and felt a great loss that can never be recovered. His image, a model of an exemplary, steadfast, and resolute communist soldier who was also very close to the people, will forever remain in the hearts of each of us cadres and the ethnic minority communities.”
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| People line up to pay their respects to the General Secretary at the National Funeral Home, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street. |
Comrade Nguyen Tien Hung, Member of the Central Committee of the Youth Union, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Youth Union, and President of the Vietnam Student Association of Hanoi, shared: Upon hearing the news of the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, many Youth Union members and young people in Hanoi registered to participate in serving at the State funeral. More than 4,000 Youth Union members, young people, and students registered.
Based on that aspiration, the Hanoi Youth Union, together with relevant authorities, developed a plan to involve its members and young people in activities serving the State Funeral. All these plans were submitted for coordination with the Hanoi City Police, the Hanoi Capital Command, and other units to ensure the participation of youth union members in serving and guiding the public, maintaining security and order, and ensuring traffic safety.
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| Free public service point. |
For locations such as the National Funeral Home, Dong Anh District, Mai Dich Cemetery, and several others, we have set up youth volunteer stations where people will be provided with free drinking water, snacks, raincoats, fans, etc. All these activities are carried out by the City Youth Union in a socialized manner. Volunteers will be divided into shifts to perform their duties during the two days of national mourning.
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| Youth union members perform their duties at the gate of the National Funeral Home. |
And especially on the afternoon of July 26th, during the funeral procession of the General Secretary, the volunteers will stand along the routes, coordinating with the functional forces to maintain traffic safety and security, and together with the people, create a solemn and respectful atmosphere to bid farewell to the General Secretary as he is laid to rest.
During his lifetime, the General Secretary held very positive feelings towards the youth of the entire country in general and the youth of Hanoi in particular. Furthermore, as the former Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, the General Secretary also showed great affection for the youth of the capital city. During this time, the young people of Hanoi expressed their own feelings, the feelings of the youth of Hanoi, towards the General Secretary. From this, they volunteered to participate in support activities during the State funeral, demonstrating the responsibility of the youth of Hanoi towards the affection the General Secretary had shown them.
Nhandan.vn
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