How is the National Funeral Ceremony in Vietnam organized?

The State Funeral is held after the passing of officials holding or leaving one of the following positions: General Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Party; President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

For other high-ranking officials who have made great contributions and merits to the revolutionary cause of the Party, State and people, and have great prestige domestically and internationally, the Politburo will decide on the organization of a State Funeral.

According to Decree 105/2012/ND-CP dated December 17, 2012, regulations on the implementation of National Mourning of Vietnam are as follows:

1. Titles for holding State Funerals

Officials holding or leaving one of the following positions when they pass away will be given a State Funeral:

a) General Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Party;

b) President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

c) Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

d) Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The Politburo decided to hold a State Funeral for other high-ranking officials who have made great contributions and merits to the revolutionary cause of the Party, State and people, and have great prestige domestically and internationally.

2. Notice of National Funeral

The following agencies jointly issued the announcement on the State Funeral: Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam; National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

3. State Funeral Committee and Funeral Organizing Committee

The Politburo decided to establish a State Funeral Committee, consisting of 25 to 30 members representing the Politburo, the Central Executive Committee, the National Assembly,

The President, the Government, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, central organizations, agencies where the deceased worked or was working, and representatives of the leaders of the province or centrally-run city where the deceased was born or was born.

The State Funeral Committee is responsible for directing the organization of the State Funeral according to the provisions of this Decree;

The Head of the State Funeral Committee is the General Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam or the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The Politburo decided to establish a Funeral Organizing Committee, consisting of 15 to 20 members representing ministries, departments, and branches at the central level, the hometown or birthplace of the deceased, and representatives of the deceased's family.

The Funeral Organizing Committee is responsible for assisting the State Funeral Committee in managing the agencies that are members of the Funeral Organizing Committee and the agencies participating in organizing the State Funeral according to the provisions of this Decree; the Head of the Funeral Organizing Committee is a Deputy Prime Minister.

4. Documents on the State Funeral

The Central Organizing Committee presides over and coordinates with the Central Propaganda Department, the Central Party Office and the deceased's competent authority to draft: Announcement on the State Funeral; list of the State Funeral Committee, Funeral Organizing Committee, biography of the deceased; Notice of the Visitation Ceremony, Memorial Service, Burial Ceremony; Eulogy and Words of Thanks with comments from the deceased's family and approved by the State Funeral Committee.

5. Report and post news on the media about the National Funeral

a) Delivering sad news

Until there is an official announcement from the Funeral Organizing Committee, the media is only allowed to briefly report on the death. After the Funeral Organizing Committee is established and the funeral is officially announced, the media is allowed to report sad news and publish articles introducing the deceased.

b) Posting on media

Nhan Dan Newspaper and central and local press agencies report on the State Funeral, including: Announcement, list of the State Funeral Committee, Funeral Organizing Committee; biography, photos of the deceased; nationwide mourning rituals; announcement of the Visitation Ceremony, Memorial Service, Burial Ceremony, and thanks from the State Funeral Committee;

The Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio filmed documentary films of the Funeral Ceremony, Memorial Service and Burial Ceremony. The Voice of Vietnam Radio, Vietnam Television and Vietnam News Agency reported and broadcast live the Funeral Ceremony, Memorial Service and Burial Ceremony.

6. Time and rituals of mourning

The duration of the National Funeral is 02 days. During this time, agencies and offices nationwide and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad will fly flags at half-mast, with mourning bands (1/10 the width of the flag, the length of the flag and only fly the flag to 2/3 the height of the flagpole, using black cloth to tie the flag so it does not fly), and no public entertainment activities will be organized.

7. Place of State Funeral and Burial

The State Funeral will be held at the National Funeral Home No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong, Hanoi (if held in Hanoi); Funeral Home of Military Hospital 175 or Funeral Home No. 25 Le Quy Don, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City (if held in Ho Chi Minh City).

Burial at Mai Dich Cemetery, Hanoi; Ho Chi Minh City Cemetery or cremation, electric burial, burial in hometown or other local cemetery according to the family's wishes.

8. Decorate the altar and stay by the coffin

The stage was decorated with a black background, on which hung the national flag with a mourning ribbon, a photo of the deceased, and the white words "Deeply mourning comrade...".
The altar is placed in the middle of the room, under the stage, with an incense burner and a medal pillow.
The coffin was covered with the national flag, placed on a pedestal in the middle of the altar, head facing the altar.

The Funeral Organizing Committee assigned members of the Funeral Organizing Committee to stand by when high-ranking delegations from the Party Central Committee, National Assembly, President, Government, and Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front came to pay their respects.

During the Visitation and Funeral Ceremony, there are 02 (two) honor guards standing at the door of the Funeral Room; 04 (four) military officers in ceremonial uniforms standing at the 4 corners of the coffin and 06 (six) honor guards standing around the coffin and a military band serving the Visitation, Funeral and Funeral Procession.

9. Wreaths in the Funeral

The Funeral Organizing Committee prepared 06 (six) wreaths, with red cloth ribbons and gold letters of the Central Executive Committee of the Party, the National Assembly, the President, the Government, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the family; after the delegations finished paying their respects, they were placed on both sides of the altar.

The Funeral Organizing Committee prepares 30 (thirty) rotating wreaths. The funeral announcement states: Delegations coming to pay their respects do not bring wreaths, but only black cloth bands, measuring 1.2 m x 0.2 m, with the white words “Respectful Visitation” written on them, and below that is a small line with the name of the agency, organization, or individual to be attached to the wreath prepared by the Funeral Organizing Committee.

10. Funeral

The Funeral Organizing Committee arranges the delegations to pay their respects in the following formation: 02 (two) soldiers carrying wreaths in the lead, followed by the Head of the delegation, behind and to the right of the Head of the delegation is the officer leading the visit, the members of the delegation walk in two vertical rows.

The Funeral Organizing Committee organizes the reception and arrangement of foreign delegations, diplomatic missions, consular agencies, representative agencies of international organizations in Vietnam and other foreign agencies and individuals who wish to visit and register in the condolence book.

After the visit, the Head of the delegation signed the condolence book.

During the visit, the Military Band played the song "Soul of the Dead Soldier".

11. Organizing Funeral Ceremony Abroad

a) At the same time as the National Funeral in Vietnam, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall instruct Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to receive Vietnamese and foreign organizations and individuals to pay their respects and register in the condolence book at Vietnamese representative agencies abroad.

b) Ceremony decoration:

The stage is decorated with a black background, the national flag hanging above has a mourning ribbon, a photo of the deceased and the white words "Deeply regretting comrade...";
The altar is placed in the middle of the room, under the altar is an incense burner; on both sides of the altar are placed 02 (two) fixed wreaths;

Condolences table.

12. Memorial Service

a) Participants in the funeral ceremony include: State Funeral Committee; Funeral Organizing Committee; family, relatives; representatives of agencies, units and localities of the deceased.deceased

b) Location of delegations attending the funeral

The family stands on the left side of the funeral room (looking up at the altar);
Party and State leaders stand on the right side of the funeral room (looking up at the podium);

Delegations of Ministries, Departments, branches, other subjects, on-duty forces and military bands stand according to the arrangement of the Funeral Organizing Committee.

c) Funeral Program

The Head of the Funeral Organizing Committee announced the Memorial Service;

Military band plays the national anthem;

The Head of the State Funeral Committee read the eulogy and declared a minute of silence;
During the silence, the military band played the song "Soul of the Dead Soldier";

The Head of the Funeral Organizing Committee declared the end of the Memorial Service.

d) At the same time as the Central Memorial Service, the local leaders of the deceased's hometown or birthplace organize a local Memorial Service.

13. Funeral

Participants in the funeral include: State Funeral Committee; Funeral Organizing Committee; family, relatives; representatives of agencies, units and localities of the deceased.

When transferring the coffin from the funeral home to the hearse and from the hearse to the grave, there is 01 (one) officer carrying a photo, 01 (one) officer carrying a medal pillow and 01 (one) officer wrapping a flag carrying a flag walking in front of the coffin; a working team consisting of 01 (one) officer and 12 (twelve) soldiers moving the coffin from the funeral home to the hearse, from the hearse to the grave; the Head and Deputy Head of the State Funeral Committee carry the coffin together (at the head of the coffin); family and other members walk behind the coffin.

14. Forces and means of serving the funeral

a) Funeral service forces prepared by the Ministry of National Defense include;
Funeral service force: 04 (four) officers on duty 1.5 m from the coffin; 06 (six) soldiers holding CKC guns with bayonets on duty standing outside 0.7 m from the officer on duty; 02 (two) honor guards standing in front of the funeral home; flower bearers; funeral escort officers; military band serving the funeral service;

Funeral service force: 04 (four) officers on duty at the four corners 1.5 m from the coffin; 06 (six) soldiers holding CKC guns on duty standing outside 0.7 m from the officers on duty; 02 (two) honor guards standing in front of the funeral home; 01 National Flag team; 01 Military Flag team; honor guards of the three Military Services (127 officers and soldiers), military band serving the funeral service;

Funeral service force: 01 (one) officer carrying the photo, 01 (one) officer carrying the Medal pillow, 01 (one) officer wrapping the flag; working team including 01 officer and 12 (twelve) soldiers carrying the coffin; 07 (seven) soldiers preparing the hearse; honor guard of three military services;

Funeral service force: 27 (twenty-seven) soldiers on guard duty at the cemetery gate; 13 (thirteen) fake grave force, honor guard of three military services, military band serving the funeral.

b) Funeral vehicles prepared by the Ministry of National Defense include: 01 command vehicle; 01 vehicle carrying the National Flag, photos, and Medal pillows; 01 vehicle carrying the Military Flag; 06 vehicles carrying the honor guard; 01 flower car; 01 hearse trailer (at the end of the hearse is a 122 mm howitzer); 01 spare vehicle; 02 information vehicles, and 01 ambulance.

c) The coffin is covered with the national flag and placed in a glass cage on the hearse.

15. Burial ceremony

After the working team moved the coffin to the grave site, the Head of the Funeral Organizing Committee announced the burial ceremony.

The working team is on duty to lower the grave.

The Head of the Funeral Organizing Committee invited the leaders of the Party, State, and family to leave the first handful of soil and walk around the grave to say goodbye.

The working team continues to complete the tomb.

During the burial and grave filling ceremony, the military band played the "Funeral March".

After filling the grave, the Funeral Organizing Committee held a minute of silence to bid farewell to the deceased. The military band played the song "Soul of the Dead Soldier".

16. Tomb building and costs

Tomb built of granite, with dimensions according to current regulations.
The cost of building a tomb or cremation, electric cremation and funeral services is covered by the state budget.