Final farewell for slain Hong Kong model Abby Choi

Family and friends of Ms Abby Choi bade their final farewell to the Hong Kong model on Monday, almost

four months after her gruesome murder.

Ms Choi’s partner Chris Tam and her mother Cheung Yin-fa were among the first to arrive with Buddhist monks at around 8am to conduct final rituals at Po Fook Memorial Hall in Tai Wai where the vigil was held, reported the South China Morning Post.

About 150 black-clad guests were seen arriving in the morning to pay their last respects as Ms Choi’s remains were loaded onto a hearse embellished with pink roses, white orchids and pink ribbons. Some guests circled the vehicle to take turns catching their last glimpse of the coffin.

Shortly after 10am, the hearse left the memorial hall for Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island. Mr Tam sat in the passenger seat, clutching a framed photo of Ms Choi.

At least three coaches fetching guests were headed for the monastery while some family members, including Ms Cheung and young children believed to be Ms Choi’s, left in their own vans. Ms Choi leaves behind four children, two fathered by her former husband and the younger pair by Mr Tam.

In a departure from traditional Chinese funerals where black and white is normally used for mourning, the memorial hall for the service was decorated in pink, said to be Ms Choi’s favourite colour.

The entire ground floor of the memorial hall was draped with pink curtains and decorated with pink and white flowers. Two 1.5m-tall photos of Ms Choi were placed at either side of the entrance.

Hundreds of mourners had gathered at the memorial hall on Sunday to pay their final respects to Ms Choi.

The vigil took place at Po Fook Memorial Hall in the Tai Wai area of Sha Tin district, adhering to Buddhist traditions, Reuters reported.

The murder of the

28-year-old socialite and influencer

in February shocked Hong Kong and the world, after parts of her remains were found in a village house in Hong Kong.

Her head and parts of her ribs were found inside a large pot, and her legs were discovered in a freezer.

The Hong Kong media reported in May that Ms Choi’s family were planning to have her face remade using “bioprinting” technology for the vigil and funeral, events that reportedly cost over HK$3 million (S$514,000) to prepare.

Some people who attended the vigil on Sunday told Sing Tao Headline that her body looked life-like.

Six people have been charged in the brutal killing

of the wealthy influencer. Ms Choi’s former husband Alex Kwong, 28, his father Kwong Kau, 65, a former policeman, and his elder brother Anthony, 32, have been accused of murdering her over a property dispute.