HANOI, July 25, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Thousands of black-clad mourners including top Vietnamese officials gathered Thursday in Hanoi for the funeral of Communist party leader Nguyen Phu Trong as two days of national mourning began.

The 80-year-old, who died at a military hospital in the capital Hanoi last week "due to old age and serious illness", was the most powerful leader the country had seen in decades.

Trong, who had led the party since 2011, was the first leader to have held three consecutive mandates in the role, after the liberalisation of the country's economy in 1986.

He was known for a high-profile anti-corruption drive that swept through the party, police, armed forces and business, which analysts say has been linked to political infighting.

Alongside bouquets of yellow flowers and burning incense, Trong's flag-draped coffin was laid beneath a large portrait of the leader and dozens of his medals at the National Funeral House in central Hanoi.

Wearing black and white headbands, Trong's family greeted the mourners, having requested no customary cash envelopes or flowers be given at the funeral.

All flags across the country flew at half mast, while entertainment and sporting events have been suspended during the mourning period.

Smaller remembrance ceremonies also started Thursday morning for Trong in the southern business hub Ho Chi Minh City and in his village in Dong Anh district on the outskirts of Hanoi.

"The general secretary's death is an irreparable loss for the party, the state, the people and his family," said politburo member Luong Cuong as the funeral started.

- Tributes from abroad -

The country's top party officials led tributes, including President To Lam, who was handed the reins of power a day before Trong's death was announced.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Cuba's parliamentary speaker Esteban Lazo Hernandez were among the foreign officials to pay their respects.

Trong was praised earlier by US President Joe Biden as "a champion of deep ties" between Vietnam and Washington, while Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the Vietnamese leader as a "true friend of Russia".

Le Hong Hiep, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, said that under Trong's watch, "Vietnam managed to maintain a balanced foreign policy with all the major powers".

"And thanks to this, Vietnam managed to achieve significant economic development and now is on the way to become an upper middle income economy by 2030," he told AFP.

Trong's poor health had fuelled widespread speculation that he would not be able to stay in power until the 2026 party congress. Details of his illness have never been made public.

He enjoyed remarkable longevity in office, during a mandate that rights groups say has coincided with increasing authoritarianism.

"I admired Trong... He spent his whole life and career working for the Communist Party and the people of Vietnam," said Tran Van Thuong, a Hanoi resident.

Trong will be buried at Mai Dich cemetery, the final resting place for many senior leaders in Vietnam, at 3:00 pm (0800 GMT) Friday.