Fans of music icon CoCo Lee line up outside the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point for her funeral service on July 31, 2023. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

A sea of devoted fans of Hong Kong pop diva CoCo Lee journeyed from all over the world to a memorial service in Hong Kong to bid farewell to the beloved singer.

Lee died at 48 years old on July after struggling with, depression. Some of the mourners lined up for hours.

Clutching white blooms, under the sweltering sun, many bore the face of anguish with eyes reddened and swollen from crying. While waiting, they found solace in Lee's songs, playing videos on a loop on their phones.

Many of Lee's close friends showed up at the memorial service, held at Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point

They shared with China Daily that Lee's music had been the "soundtrack of their youth", and that her spirit - her eternal optimism and joy -will continue sparking from generation to generation.

Many of Lee's close friends showed up at the memorial service, held at Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point. Among those in attendance were music producer Yao Chi-en, singers Han Hong, Jenny Iseng, and Elva Hsiao, and Warner Music Greater China CEO Jonathan Serbin. Video eulogies by celebrities were broadcast at the venue, including those from directors Jackie Chan and Ang Lee, and actor Andy Lau Tak-wah.

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The funeral also streamed live online. Numerous mourner expressed their grief in the chat room of the live page, saying "I can’t believe it" and "It is hard to accept punctuated by tearful emojis.

Zoe Shi, a Taiwanese trading company employee, journeyed to Hong Kong to bid farewell to the singerwho had provided the soundtrack of her youth.

Lee's first album was released when Shi was 15, sparking over two decades of fandom into Shis 40s.

"CoCo's voice grew up with me," Shi said.

When news broke of Lee's death from depression, Shi, who was also depressed, was shocked. Though aware Lee was not in good health, Shi never realized Lee's depths of inner turmoil were so similar to her owl.

Shi said she listened again to Lees songs, gaining a new understanding of her beloved singer. Behind the upbeat and energetic melodies lay resilience and struggle, showing how strong Lee had been, Shi said.

"That's why I have to come to Hong Kong, to finish saying goodbye and thank her for being with me for over half of my life," Shi said.

A fan of music icon Coco Lee waits outside the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point for her funeral service on July 31, 2023. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

A Chinese mainland entrepreneur from Sichuan province who identified herself as Cherry said she had adored Lee over 20 years, from a very young age. "She is my whole youth,” she said.

Cherry recalled that after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Lee, in addition to making a generous donation to the relief fund, arrived in person in her hometown of Ya'an, a city in western Sichuan, and helped deliver supplies.

"She was so kind as a public figure." Cherry said.

She stood in line at the funeral home for five hours, watching the memorial livestream and sobbing with a friend by her side.

"I hope there's no pain in heaven, and Lee will always be happy here," she said.

Zhang Yijia, 37, a performance agent, traveled from Chengdu, Sichuan province, to bid farewell to the artist he has worked with for over a decade.

Zhang said that he witnessed Lee's kindness toward fans and friends for many years, and added that Lee approached her work with tireless positivism.

"What I loved most was CoCo's boundless positive energy," Zhang said, adding that Lee's lively and active spirit will continue uplifting the world.

Lok Chiu, a 16-year-old flower arranger in Hong Kong, said he had been a fan for six years. He arrived at the funeral home at 11 am, staying until 6:30 pm to pay his respects.

Lee was an influential international superstar, Chu said, adding that he felt deeply connected to her music and spirit. He said he hopes she will find eternal peace and joy in the next world.

A male cleaner who is 59 years old discovered Lee's charm just this year after stumbling on a video of her performance at the 73rd Academy Awards.

In 2001, Lee made history as the first Asian singer to grace the Oscar stage with her rendition of A Love Before Time, the theme song of the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The cleaner was captivated by Lee's performance and was deeply impressed by her achievements at such a young age. "CoCo's departure was a significant loss to Hong Kong", he said.

According to local media reports, Lee's encoffining ceremony will be held on Tuesday at 10:30 am, followed by cremation.