Mr. Sau Khai is close and dear in the hearts of those who remain.

From early morning, people lined up to pay their respects to the late Prime Minister Phan Van Khai.

The first people present, besides relatives, were the families of former President Truong Tan Sang, former Standing Member of the Secretariat Le Hong Anh, Head of the Central Propaganda Department Vo Van Thuong...

In the long line of people coming to pay their respects, there were many people who had worked with and met Mr. Sau Khai for a long time. In their hearts, there will forever be the image of a simple and beloved younger brother, uncle, older brother, or aunt.

In the memory of Mrs. Ba Leo, a cousin who lives nearby, Uncle Sau is a "real Cu Chi old man", wearing a T-shirt and conical hat, going around the village, visiting this person, asking that person.

For Mr. Tran Hong, in charge of District 6 library, Uncle Sau Khai is a close and dedicated person to preserving and reading books.

People paying their respects to the late Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on the morning of March 18. Photo: Quang Dinh

Mr. Vo Van Thuong - Politburo member, Party Central Committee Secretary, Head of the Central Propaganda Department - visited the late Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on the morning of March 18. Photo: Quang Dinh

Tuoi Tre newspaper delegation visited the late Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on the morning of March 18. Photo: Nguyen Cong Thanh

Mr. Le Hong Anh - former Standing Member of the Secretariat - came to pay his respects and signed the condolence book. Photo: Mai Hoa

Since 2012, Mr. Sau Khai has asked District 6 Library and Cu Chi Library to build a library right on his family's property.

Mr. Hong said the library has about 4,200 - 4,300 books, arranged in scientific categories for easy searching. Among them are about 500 rare books, some of which cannot be found anywhere else.

Many books given by heads of state when Mr. Sau Khai visited other countries are also kept here.

"The first day we came to help him build the library, we were a bit shy, but the way he spoke was very friendly. He praised the district-level library for its good application of technology," Mr. Hong said.

From Phuc Tho district (Hanoi), a delegation of officials and people came to pay their respects to Mr. Phan Van Khai.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Lien - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phuc Tho district - said: "My mother is now 85 years old, still mentioning "Mr. Khai".

"During the years 1954-1959, Uncle Khai returned to Phuc Tho to work, as head of the reform committee. He acted with reason and compassion, and the people who had to return the fields were happy and willing. In later years, when he became the head of state, he still returned to visit and considered Phuc Tho as his second hometown. People in my village still talk about him," said Mr. Lien.

In Vong Xuyen commune, Phuc Tho district, Mr. Sau Khai had a foster mother named Mrs. Xu. She passed away, and her family sent a wreath upon hearing the news of Mr. Khai's death.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nguyet, 80 years old, took the bus from District 1 to Cu Chi early in the morning, carrying an album with many old photos of Mr. Phan Van Khai. Photo: Mai Hoa

Taking the bus from District 1 to Cu Chi at 9am, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nguyet (80 years old) flipped through an old album she brought with her, which contained photos of her and Mr. Sau Khai taken decades ago.

She once studied with Mr. Phan Van Khai at the Workers' and Peasants' Supplementary School before going to study in the Soviet Union.

"He was very good. Being an economist, he didn't have much knowledge of literature and society at first, but at the supplementary school, he was famous for being good, studying two or three classes a year," Ms. Nguyet recalled.

In her memory, Mr. Sau Khai was a gentle brother, careful in everything he did, and very approachable. During the Southern students' reunion in 1999, she stood close by and put her hand on his shoulder while he was sitting. The boy refused to take a photo, but he smiled kindly and allowed it.

On the afternoon of March 18, under the harsh sunlight of Cu Chi, many people came to burn incense to pay their respects to the late Prime Minister Phan Van Khai because they 'have admired him for a long time'.

That was the family of Mr. Nguyen Duc Thanh (Tan Binh District). It was a sunny afternoon, thinking that at this time there would be few visitors, he took the car to take the whole family of 5 to Cu Chi to pay their respects. Before leaving, the whole family wondered if they would be allowed in. When they arrived, finished burning incense, and walked out, everyone was still nervous and emotional.

Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Hang (45 years old) shared that she knew about Mr. Sau Khai since he became Prime Minister. Since then, she has always followed news about him and has fallen in love with this kind and talented man.

Ms. Hang's legs were not healthy, so she had difficulty walking and had to hold on to her younger sister's hand. But she said: "No matter the cost, I must go and burn incense for Uncle!"

In the afternoon, many families from Hoc Mon, Tan Binh… continued to visit Mr. Sau Khai.