Thousands of people in Vietnam have bid farewell to the Communist Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who has been recognized as the most powerful leader in the country for several decades, ahead of his funeral. The 80-year-old Trong passed away in a hospital in Hanoi last week and had led the party since 2011, during which he initiated an extensive anti-corruption campaign affecting the party, police, armed forces, and business sectors.

On Friday morning, mourners dressed in black gathered in the capital city of Hanoi to pay their last respects before his burial at Mai Dich Cemetery, the final resting place for many of Vietnam’s senior leaders. Images on social media displayed his coffin being transported through the streets of the capital prior to the funeral.

Trong’s casket, draped in Vietnam’s red and yellow flag, was displayed beneath a smiling portrait along with several medals at the National Funeral House in Hanoi since Thursday. According to authorities, at least 210,000 people have paid their respects during ceremonies in Hanoi, the southern city of Ho Chi Minh, and his village just outside the capital.

Certain top officials from the Communist Party, including President To Lam, who assumed the position of interim party leader the day before Trong’s death was announced, also attended the ceremony. Additionally, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Wang Huning from the Chinese Communist Party, former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and the President of the Cuban National Assembly Esteban Lazo Hernandez were among the attendees.

Flags at half-mast were displayed across the nation, and during the mourning period, entertainment and sports events were suspended. Nguyen Phu Trong was remembered for his significant tenure in office, which human rights organizations have referenced as coinciding with a rise in authoritarian governance.

U.S. President Joe Biden previously praised Trong as “a champion of deep ties” between Vietnam and the United States, while Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to him as a “true friend of Russia.” Trong, who studied in the Soviet Union from 1981 to 1983, was the first Vietnamese Communist Party Chief to visit the White House. He advocated for a pragmatic foreign policy known as “bamboo diplomacy,” a term he coined to illustrate the plant’s flexibility in changing geopolitical conditions.

With his passing, the stage is set for a leadership contest at the party’s national congress in 2026.