Foreign news agencies and media on October 13 published articles andphotos on the national funeral of General Vo Nguyen Giap and Vietnamesepeople’s great respects towards their national hero.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), millions ofVietnamese were following the national funeral of Vietnam’s firstGeneral, who made his name well-known not only in the country but alsoall over the world with victories over the French army and then USarmy.
The US-based Associated Press (AP) reported thathundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Hanoi , theVietnamese capital, on October 13 to bid a final farewell to a legendarywar hero who led the poor Southeast Asian nation to victory over theFrench army and then the US army.
"Long live Gen. VoNguyen Giap," people chanted, many in tears, as his flag-draped coffinpassed by on a truck-drawn artillery carriage, it said.
APquoted a resident present in the crowd as saying "I feel like I lostone of my relatives,” adding that General Giap will live forever in theheart of Vietnamese people.
The news agency described thefuneral as an event that has been unseen since President Ho Chi Minhpassed away more than four decades ago. Some 150,000 people lined upover the past five days out side General Giap’s house to pay respects tohim.
The country’s top leaders, along with veterans anddiplomats paid their last farewell to the deceased. The national flagwas blown at half-mast and entertainment events were cancelled.
Earlier, Reuters said that over the past week, hundreds of thousands ofVietnamese flocked to General Giap’s house to show their respects.
According to Bloomberg, since the passing of General Giap, Vietnameseclutching yellow daisies and umbrellas to shield against the hotafternoon sun have formed lines outside his home on Hoang Dieu Street inHanoi that stretch nearly a kilometer to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum topay tribute to him.
General Vo Nguyen Giap passed away onOctober 4 at the age of 103. A two-day National Funeral for the Generalwas held nationwide on October 12-13. He was buried in his homeprovince of Quang Binh on October 13./.