At 9:30pm on July 25, despite the late hour and continuous rain, many residents of Ho Chi Minh City remained hopeful to enter the hall and express their respect and gratitude to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Trinh Lu Hong Thuan, 44, from District 12, traveled 25 kilometers to the hall with her son immediately after he finished school. Their wish was to light incense for the General Secretary.

"Although I never met him, I saw his simple, approachable image through the media. When I heard of his passing, it felt like losing a father. I will advise my children to always learn and strive to emulate this virtuous and talented party member," Thuan said emotionally.

Nguyen Chi Thien, a 20-year-old student at the University of Finance and Marketing from District 7, expressed his admiration: "General Secretary Trong was a leader who loved the people and cared deeply about education. Visiting him today, we see how much he was loved by the people of the city and the whole country. We promise to follow his example in our studies and future endeavors."