Thousands bid farewell to ‘cai luong king’ in funeral

Reformed theater artist Thoai My (fourth to the left) was assisted by two relatives to attend Vu Linh’s funeral in HCMC. Linh was one of the most prominent artists during the golden age of reformed theater in the 1960s.

Artist Phuong Loan (third from the left) remained somber throughout the funeral.

Many friends and fans of Linh also came to the funeral.

People stood along the path to Linh’s home, with some using their mobile smartphones to record the event.

Fans have been here since early morning and followed Linh’s coffin to the Hoa Vien Cemetery in Binh Duong Province.

Security forces were deployed to make sure that the funeral took place safely.

A fan who was allowed inside the funeral home carefully cleaned Linh’s photos that had collected dust.

The hearse that carried Linh’s coffin had his photo on the roof.

Artist Binh Tinh looks at the photo of Linh.

Linh’s relatives couldn’t hold back their tears as the hearse left.

Hong Loan, Linh’s adopted daughter, sat on the ground next to her father’s coffin. Linh adopted Loan when she was just a few days old.

At 11 a.m. on Thursday, Linh’s coffin was transferred to a cemetery in Binh Duong. His burial place is located near the grave of another reform theater legend, Thanh Kim Hue.