Former Prime Minister Phan Văn Khải was buried next to his wife's grave.
On the afternoon of March 21, preparations for the funeral of the former Prime Minister in his hometown of Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, were being completed urgently.
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| Ahead of the funeral of former Prime Minister Phan Văn Khải in Tân Thông Hội commune (Củ Chi district), dozens of workers, youth volunteers, and local militia members were busy preparing the burial site and the area where his remains would be brought. The burial place, according to former Prime Minister Phan Văn Khải's wishes, is located within the grounds of his private residence, which is adorned with many orchids. "We started decorating at noon and expect to finish by this evening," a worker said. |
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| The former Prime Minister will rest next to the grave of his late wife, Mrs. Sau. The surrounding area will be covered with orchid branches – her favorite flower. Relatives say that when Mrs. Sau passed away (in 2012), the former Prime Minister's grave was also fully constructed, in preparation for the day when the two of them would be laid to rest together. |
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| The area surrounding the cemetery is shaded and fragrant with many kinds of flowers and fruit trees. |
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| According to the elders in the village, the most significant mark former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai left on the locality is at Tan Thong communal house - which he renovated to its current magnificent state. Located just about 200 meters from Mr. Sau Khai's house, the communal house stands out with its classic yellow paint and exquisitely carved wooden reliefs. |
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| Mr. Nguyen Van Hung (76 years old), who has been looking after the village temple for 43 years, said that the temple is preserving hundreds of commemorative photos of the former Prime Minister and the temple's members. "Mr. Sau Khai was a very simple, kind-hearted person who never showed off to anyone. In our eyes, he was an absolutely wonderful person," Mr. Hung shared. |
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| The photo was taken in 2000, when Mr. Sau Khai was Prime Minister, visiting the temple. "At that time, this place was small and very dilapidated. In 2006, after he retired, he lived in a house next to the temple and personally oversaw the restoration of this 248-year-old ancient temple," Mr. Hung recounted, adding that the repair process lasted from mid-2009 to July 2010. |
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| Former Prime Minister Phan Văn Khải led former General Secretary Lê Khả Phiêu on a visit to the temple after it had been renovated. |
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| "This was Mr. Sau Khai's daily spot. When he was healthy, he would come here every day from 7 to 11 a.m., smoking, drinking coffee, and chatting with the elderly people in the temple about all sorts of things. He was a very cheerful conversationalist, never praising or criticizing, so everyone loved him," Mr. Hung recounted. |
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| The oil palm trees that former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai brought from Tay Ninh to plant are now over 20 years old, providing shade throughout the village. At 7:30 AM tomorrow, March 22nd, the memorial service for former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai will be held at the Reunification Hall, according to national funeral rites. Afterwards, his remains will be taken to his private residence for burial. Former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai passed away at 1:30 AM on March 17th in his hometown. He was considered by many economic experts to be a leader with a strong reformist spirit and a determination to integrate into the global economy. He was also the person who presented the draft Law on Bilateral Trade between Vietnam and the United States (BTA), which was officially signed in 2001; and was the first Vietnamese leader to visit the United States, meeting with President Bush in 2005, opening up new prospects for cooperation between Vietnam and the United States. |
