Posted By: Tom Hustler

Tue Nov 7, 1:53 AM ET

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's elite paid their final
respects to late billionaire tycoon Henry Fok Ying-tung on
Tuesday at the closest thing to a state funeral for one of Hong
Kong's wealthiest and most powerful men.
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A huge media contingent jostled for position outside the
funeral home where hundreds of wreaths of predominantly white
flowers -- the Chinese color of mourning -- were propped up on
the pavement outside.

Public well-wishers looked on as a stream of
chauffeur-driven luxury cars brought Hong Kong's business and
political elite to the gold-columned steps of the funeral home.

Among those arriving to pay their respects were former
Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, Macau gambling mogul and Fok's
former business partner, Stanley Ho, as well as a large number
of prominent businessmen and Hong Kong government and mainland
officials.

Inside, the mourners clad in black, some in tears, bowed
before Fok's photograph on a stage wreathed with flowers,
including offerings from Chinese President Hu Jintao and
Premier Wen Jiabao as well as other politburo members.

The ceremony was as close to a state funeral as might be
expected and organized by a 74-person committee, headed by Wang
Zhongyu, a vice chairman of China's top advisory body, the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

"His death is Hong Kong's great loss as well as China's,"
he said during the service.

Well-wishers then circled his open casket, which was later
draped in a Chinese flag and carried out of the hall by senior
officials.

Fok's remains will be interred at a Buddhist Cemetery on a
hillside plot on Friday, chosen for its harmonious balance with
nature, or good "feng shui" in accordance with Chinese geomancy
traditions.

Fok, a tycoon with gambling, port and property interests,
died on October 28 in Beijing, after a long battle with cancer.
He was 83. His coffin was flown to Hong Kong by chartered jet
several days later in accordance with his wishes to be buried
on home soil.

As a vice-chairman of the CPPCC, Fok was a trusted
confidant of several generations of Chinese leaders, including
Deng Xiaoping.

Stories of his colorful past abound, including gun-running
for the Communists during the 1950-1953 Korean War and his
passion for sport, especially football.

There was no large public outpouring of grief, though a
public memorial service on Monday drew about 2,000
well-wishers, many praising Fok's notable contributions to Hong
Kong's economic development and charitable work.

Whilst no senior state leaders attended the funeral,
several mainland officials flew down from Beijing to pay
tribute, including the director of the State Council's Hong
Kong and Macao Affairs Office, Liao Hui, and Liu Yandong, head
of the United Front Work Department.

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