Party, State, NA, Government leaders at the State funeral for President Tran Dai Quang at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi on September 26 (Photo: NDO/ Duy Linh)

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The State funeral for Tran Dai Quang, Politburo member and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is held by the Party Central Committee, National Assembly, State President Office, Government and Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.

President Tran Dai Quang is laid in state at the National Funeral Hall, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong, Hanoi.

The tribute ceremony started at 7am. Since the early morning, delegations from the Party, State, National Assembly, Government, Vietnam Fatherland Front, the armed forces, and crowds of officials, Party members and people of all strata in the capital city and many other cities and provinces nationwide gathered at the National Funeral Hall to pay tribute to the President, who devoted his entire life to the revolutionary cause of the Party and nation.

Family members of President Tran Dai Quang led by his wife Nguyen Thi Hien were the first to offer incense and flowers to their beloved.

Following them, the delegation from the Party Central Committee led by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid homage to the President.

Writing in the book of condolences, the Party leader noted that President Tran Dai Quang has made great contributions to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Vietnamese Party, State and people, especially the people’s police force, as well as to national construction and defence.

His passing is a great loss to the Party, State and people of Vietnam, he wrote.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who led the Government delegation, wrote in the condolence book that during his career spanning more than 40 years, President Tran Dai Quang was always a wholehearted and responsible official who made every effort to overcome difficulties and hardships to excellently fulfil all tasks entrusted to him by the Party, State and people.

"He made great contributions to the national renewal, construction and defence,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, who led the delegation of the NA, wrote that President Tran Dai Quang’s devotion to the building and safeguarding of the country, Party and State and his heart toward the people will be forever remembered by his comrades and people nationwide.

The respect-paying ceremony continued with the State President Office delegation led by Acting President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee delegation headed by Vice President and General Secretary Hau A Lenh, the Defence Ministry delegation led by Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich and the Public Security Ministry delegation headed by Minister Gen. Lieut. Gen. To Lam.

Former Party General Secretaries Le Kha Phieu and Nong Duc Manh, former Presidents Tran Duc Luong, Nguyen Minh Triet and Truong Tan Sang, former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and former NA Chairmen Nguyen Van An and Nguyen Sinh Hung also came to pay their respects to President Tran Dai Quang.

Also on the morning of September 26, many delegations from ministries, central agencies, cities and provinces nationwide paid homage to the President at the National Funeral Hall.

Leading a delegation from Ninh Binh province, the homeland of President Quang, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Thi Thanh expressed her deep grief at the passing of such an exemplary figure of the province.

"The Party organisation, authorities and people of Ninh Binh have always been proud of President Tran Dai Quang,” she wrote in the funeral book.

Many delegations from foreign parties, States and Governments as well as ambassadors and charges d’affaires, and representatives from international organisations in Vietnam paid tribute to President Quang.

Among those were the Lao Party and State delegation led by Vice President Phankham Viphavanh and the Singaporean delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean.