Manila/Binondo

Binondo is the "Chinatown" district of Manila. It is the oldest Chinatown in the world and was the country's center of commerce during the American occupation. Many of Binondo's commercial establishments were destroyed after World War II, with companies moving to Makati, the financial capital of the Philippines.

History
Binondo was created by Spanish Governor-General Luis Pérez Dasmariñas on 1584 for a settlement for Chinese immigrants (called Sangleys), with the intentions of converting the Chinese to Catholicism at the initiative of the Spanish Dominican fathers. Spanish officials forced the Chinese to convert to Catholicism, threatening them to be executed. Governor-General Pérez Dasmariñas played a prominent role in the massacre of 24,000 Chinese after the Chinese revolt in 1603. The reason for the massacre was that he wanted to avenge his father's death under the hand of the Sangleys.

Binondo's population grew rapidly with many Chinese mestizos, the products of intermarriage between the now-Catholic Chinese and local Filipinos. The district is therefore known as the birthplace of the Chinese mestizos, including Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, who became the first Filipino saint, and Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, a Mestiza de Sangley who was the founder of the congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary.

Talk
Locals predominantly speak Tagalog and, as most of their ancestors are from Fujian province, Minnan or Hokkien is widely spoken too. Mandarin is also known by some as it is a subject in Chinese schools. English is widely understood as well. Besides Chinese dialects and Tagalog, other Filipino languages are spoken too.

Get in

 * By Taxi Taxis are abundant in Manila and constitute the fastest mode of transport of getting to Binondo from other places in the area.
 * By LRT-1, take a ride from Baclaran station to Carriedo station.
 * By water bus, The Pasig River Ferry stops at Escolta station, not far from the Jones Bridge.

Get around
Chinatown is best explored with Calesas or horse driven carriage. Taxis and jeepneys are also available.

See




Do
Annually the Chinese New Year is celebrated on January/February, people commemorate this celebration through lighting up firecrackers and dragon dances are also done. People rush to temples and churches to pray and give thanks for the blessings of the past year, the celebration lasts for about two weeks with Lantern Festival commemorating its end. After Hungry Ghost Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated, which is also known as Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, in this occasion people eat moon cakes, offer moon cakes and round fruits to the Moon Goddess Chang'e and the God of Agriculture Shen Nong. During this celebration try Hopia (mooncake also called as Unity Cake).

Buy
Pastries and Sweet Meats like hopia are the best buys. Exotic ingredients are also found in Binondo such as ginseng, shark fin cartilage, deer horn, dried snake, bird’s nest as well as animal testicles may be found at apothecaries, but beware: it is illegal under endangered species protection laws. Apothecaries cater to visitors and are willing to help by asking their symptoms and they'll provide you remedies for it. Teas, brews and powders are also found in apothecaries. Tableas; Chocolate tablets and Cocoa used for making hot chocolate during Spanish times are also popular, they are found at La Ressurection. Lucky charms and talismans are also found in various shops in Binondo, along Ongpin Street, stalls selling gold, silver and jewelry can be found as well sugarcane and chestnut vendors are sold by carts along the street, the streets are usually crowded because of them.

There's a HSBC Bank branch in Binondo with a few ATMs which do not charge the usual fee for cash withdrawal from the foreign card, unlike all the other banks. They have only 3 locations with ATMs left in Manila, and this one is by far the easiest to reach for an average tourist. It is located at Quintin Paredes street, very close to the Binondo Church.

Eat
Hokkien Cuisine is prominent in the district as most of the people are of Hokkien ancestry. Among the delicacies worth trying are Tikoy, sticky rice cakes; hopia, mooncake; kiampong, a variant of fried rice; siomai, a pork-filled steamed dumpling; siopao, Hokkien version of baozi or steamed buns with meat filling; machang, glutinous rice with a meat filling wrapped in a banana leaf; mami, noodle soup; and hakaw, a shrimp dumpling.

Connect
Various English newspapers are scattered around Binondo such as Business World, Daily Tribune, Malaya, Manila Bulletin, People's Tonight, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star and Sun Star Manila. Tagalog newspapers include Abante, Kabayan, Pilipino Star Ngayon. Other newspapers in other languages include Manila Shimbum in Japanese and Siong Po - Chinese Commercial News in Chinese. If you need internet services you can visit Netopia Internet Cafe which is located in Juan Luna street.

Go next
Across the River Pasig from the Binondo area is Manila's oldest district, the walled city of Intramuros. Visit Quiapo, home of the Black Nazarene which is in Quiapo Church, devotees flock here during January for the annual festival of the Black Nazarene, believed to give miracles and blessings.