Hong Kong is mourning the loss of its first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, in a weekend vigil, with tributes pouring in from political and business heavyweights as well as members of the public.
Tung, who died at the age of 89 on September 8, led Hong Kong through ups and downs – the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the Sars outbreak in 2003 and a V-shaped rebound in the economy that followed.
Saturday’s rituals, held at Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point, will be followed by a state funeral on Sunday. The South China Morning Post has learned that Tung will be cremated at Cape Collinson Crematorium in Chai Wan.
The previous arrangement of holding a public memorial service is now limited to people with invitations only due to venue constraints.
Members of the public can pay their respects by leaving messages in condolence books at three community halls between September 18 and 20.
Follow the SCMP’s coverage of the vigil.
Reporting by Lo Hoi-ying, Leopold Chen, Lam Ka-sing, Denise Tsang, Emily Hung and Fiona Sun.
Some of our earlier coverage:
– Patriot dedicated to Hong Kong: business heavyweights remember Tung Chee-hwa
– Friend, leader, mentor: how political veterans remember Tung Chee-hwa
– A man who built bridges over walls: SCMP’s Tammy Tam on Tung Chee-hwa
– ‘In hard times, your honour shines’: Jack Ma pays tribute to Tung Chee-hwa
– Tung Chee-hwa’s rise to first Hong Kong chief executive and elder statesman
– Tributes flow in as Hong Kong mourns Tung Chee-hwa, pioneering first leader
– Top Chinese official leads 87-member committee for Tung Chee-hwa state funeral