Hong Kong bids farewell to its 1st post-colonial leader with state funeral

Hong Kong on Sunday bid farewell to its first post-colonial leader, Tung Chee-hwa, who died on Sep. 8 at 89, with a state funeral.

It was only the third time a Hongkonger has received such an honor since the city was handed back to China by the UK on July 1, 1997, ending 156 years of British colonial rule.

The late leader led Hong Kong through a series of ups and downs, including the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2003 SARS outbreak and the V-shaped economic recovery that followed.

Flower wreaths lined the entrance of the Hong Kong Funeral Home and Tung's casket was draped in a Chinese flag.

Earlier, a vigil was held on Saturday, which drew dozens of political and business leaders paying their respects to Tung.