Hong Kong people streamed into a downtown funeral home on Thursday to pay their last respect to the city's fallen hero, Wong Fuk-wing, a volunteer who lost his life saving others in the earthquake in northwest China's Qinghai province.

A three-hour public memorial service began at 4 p.m. local time (0800GMT) at a memorial hall of the Universal Funeral Parlor in Kowloon.

With a simple ceremony, Wong's family asked locals to pay their tribute and leave for fear of causing disorder.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Chief Executive Donald Tsang, principal officials of the HKSAR government and several senior officials with the Liaison Office of the Central Government would attend the public memorial service and pay final tribute to Wong later in the day.

Wong, a 46-year-old truck driver who had survived the 7.1-magnitude quake in Yushu county of Qinghai province last month, died in a powerful aftershock after he returned to debris rescuing the trapped victims at an orphanage where he worked as a volunteer. He sacrificed himself to rescue four people, including three orphans and a teacher.

The four rescued have also come to Hong Kong to say goodbye to Wong.