Friends take turns giving eulogies in a simple ceremony of quiet grief as fans wait patiently outside
He lived his glittering life in the glare of spotlights and prying eyes, but Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing was put to rest in a simple, elegant ceremony attended only by family and close friends.
As photographers scrambled for a view of the hearse outside Hong Kong Funeral Home, and while more than 1,000 fans lined the street for a final glimpse of their idol, the scene inside was one of quiet grief as close friends took turns to say their eulogies.
One of Cheung's nieces was the first to speak. She recalled how her uncle would spend his last dollar buying presents for them when they were young and had patiently given them tuition even though they were disobedient. She also thanked the many friends who sat in the hall, in particular Daffy Tong Hok-tak, Cheung's partner for 18 years.
Singer Jacky Cheung Hok-yau asked if Hong Kong would ever see another star of the magnitude of the late Cheung. 'Can you imagine the sky without stars? With the events of this past week, it seems like the sky has [only] one bright shining star,' he said.
Others who spoke included director Tsui Hark, who worked with Cheung on many films, including A Chinese Ghost Story, and composer James Wong, who described Cheung as a 'perfect artist created by heaven's artist'.
As the eulogies wrapped up, strains of Cheung's hit The Wind Still Blows filled the air as pallbearers Jacky Cheung, Tsui Hark, lyricist Lam Chik, designer Eddie Lau Pui-kei, director Stanley Kwan Kam-pang, actor Tony Leung Kar-fai and two of Cheung's personal friends carried his coffin to the hearse.