HCMC – Vietnam held a funeral today, May 25, for former President Tran Duc Luong, honoring his decades of service and contributions to the country’s political and economic transformation.
The funeral ceremony took place at 7 a.m. at the National Funeral Hall at 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi, led by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, who also chaired the National Funeral Committee.
Addressing mourners, Binh noted that in recent days, more than 830 delegations comprising over 10,500 individuals from across the country and abroad had paid their last respects to the late leader in Hanoi, HCMC, and his hometown in Quang Ngai Province. These included representatives from state agencies, mass organizations, diplomatic missions, religious leaders, intellectuals, armed forces, and international organizations.
President Luong Cuong, who also served as head of the Funeral Committee, delivered a eulogy praising Tran Duc Luong as a dedicated revolutionary and a leader who made substantial contributions to Vietnam’s development and global integration efforts. “Mr. Tran Duc Luong, former Politburo member and former State President, was a respected leader who played a key role in the nation’s transformation,” Cuong said. “His passing is a great loss to our Party, our State, and our people.”
At 7:22 a.m., Deputy PM Binh announced the conclusion of the memorial service, and leaders of the Party and State, along with former high-ranking officials and family members, solemnly bid farewell to the late President by walking around the casket.
At 7:26 a.m. the casket was transported to Noi Bai International Airport for a flight to Chu Lai Airport in central Vietnam. At 11:00 a.m. the casket of former President Tran Duc Luong arrived at Chu Lai Airport in Quang Nam Province, before being transported to his final resting place in his hometown in Quang Ngai.
Tran Duc Luong, born in 1937, in Pho Khanh Commune, Duc Pho District (now Duc Pho Town), Quang Ngai Province, died at 10:51 p.m. on May 20, 2025, at his residence in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh District. Despite intensive medical care from a team of professors and doctors, as well as devoted family support, the former president succumbed to a prolonged illness.
He joined the revolution in February 1955 and became a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam on December 19, 1959. His distinguished career included serving as a member of the Party’s Central Committee for the 5th to 9th terms, a member of the Politburo for the 8th and 9th terms, and a standing member of the Politburo during the 8th term. He held key positions, including deputy prime minister from October 1992 to August 1997 and president of Vietnam, as well as chairman of the National Defense and Security Council during the 10th and 11th terms. He was also a National Assembly deputy for the 7th, 8th, 10th, and 11th terms.
