Just as he did in 1953 when he conquered Mount Qomolangma, Edmund Hillary captured the hearts and minds of the world on Tuesday as it bid the hero farewell.
Hillary, widely regarded as the greatest New Zealander, was honored at a state funeral, at St Mary's church in New Zealand's largest city of Auckland.
Dignitaries, friends and family squeezed inside the elegant wooden church to say goodbye to the modest gangling mountaineer.
Outside the church, about 5,000 people gathered in the nearby Auckland Domain to watch the service on big screens, then watched the funeral procession passing by. Outdoor screens were also set up in Wellington, Christchurch and other cities across the country.
Just after 11 a.m. local time (2200 GMT Monday), a bell rang to start the formal proceeding. The bell was from the ship HMNZS Endeavor, the ship that took Hillary to Antarctica in 1956 to set up Scott Base.
Coverage of the funeral of the climber and explorer was being beamed around the world, going to Scott Base in Antarctica and to Nepal TV by satellite link.
Hillary, who died on Jan. 11 aged 88, was as much loved in Nepal as in his homeland, after 48 years of dedicating himself to improving the health and well-being of the Sherpas.
He and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were first to reach the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 29, 1953.
Members of the Himalayan Trust set up in 1960 played leading roles at his funeral, with tributes by Ang Rita Sherpa, the chief administrative officer of the Himalayan Trust, and Norbu Tenzing Norgay, elder son of Sherpa Tenzig Norgay, who climbed Mount Qomolangma with Hillary.
Hillary's casket was draped in a New Zealand flag then covered in Nepalese khadas -- Buddhist prayer scarves.
Across New Zealand, flags fluttered at half-mast.
The national anthem, God Defend New Zealand was sung before the blessing.
In her tribute to Hillary, Prime Minister Helen Clark said "we mourn as a nation."
"Sir Edmund Hillary's extraordinary life has been an inspiration to us as a nation, and to so many beyond our shores too," Clark said, adding "as individuals we may not be able to match his abilities or strength, but surely we can all strive to match his humanity."
Hillary's son Peter Hillary, in his tribute, said, "I think Dad was a real people's hero. He was real, he was the genuine article."
Peter and his children spoke of continuing Hillary's work in Nepal, saying it was a great opportunity to "keep the commitment and the love alive."
A violinist with the New Zealand String Quartet, then played a piece by Sebastian Bach.
Norbu Tenzing Norgay, elder son of Sherpa Tenzig Norgay, who climbed Mount Qomolangma with Hillary, said he would be dearly missed. While he felt there could not have been two better people to have conquered Mount Qomolangma, their work for the Sherpas after that great day had left as big a mark.
Heavy rain began to fall toward the end of the service, while inside the church, one of Hillary's favorite singers, opera tenor Ben Makisi, sung Where E'er You Walk, by Handel.
The casket was carried from the church as a piper played "Abide With Me."
On the way, Hillary, carried by members of all three armed forces, passed under the New Zealand Alpine Club guard of honor, with long-handled ice axes held aloft.
The casket was placed in the hearse as a special haka -- the Lofty Mountain -- was performed by students from Sir Edmund Hillary College in South Auckland.
Classical music played as the hearse was driven away in light rain to a private cremation.
Foreign dignitaries at the ceremony include ministers from the governments of Britain, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Nepal, India, Russia, the United States and Tonga.
The Queen was represented by the Governor-General of New Zealand Anand Satyanand. As well, 26 ambassadors and high commissioners to New Zealand also attended the state funeral.
Source: Xinhua
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