Binondo : The China Town of Manila

 By: Unknown    8:30 PM  Luzon   No comments

 Binondo is an enclave in Manila primarily populated by ethnic Chinese living in the Philippines. It is the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594. Historically, this was where the Spanish permitted converted sangleys, their indigenous Filipino wives, and their mixed-race descendants, the mestizos de sangley or Chinese mestizos, to reside. Similarly, Parían, an area near Intramuros, was where the Spanish first restricted unconverted Chinese immigrants. They allowed sangley settlement at Parían because it was within the range of Intramuros' cannons, and they felt they could control any uprising from the labourers.
Located across the Pasig River from Intramuros, Binondo has typified a small Chinese town, and is referred to as the local "China Town". The district is the centre of commerce and trade for all types of businesses run by Filipino-Chinese merchants. Given the historic reach of Chinese trading in the Pacific, Binondo was already a hub of Chinese commerce before the first Spanish colonisers arrived in 1521. 

The area of Binondo, otherwise known as Manila Chinatown, does not have a lot going for it in ambiance and charm. Roads are narrow and street vendors vie for what little space there is with cars, loud Filipino jeepneys, and the local version of the tuktuk, the trike. Fumes billow out of mufflers and mix with the potent stench of the polluted Pasig River and its tributaries. There aren't any historic Chinese heritage buildings here either. Most of the structures in the area are modern, if uninspired, because it was bombarded several times during the British takeover of Manila in the 1700s and because Manila was practically bombed off the map during WWII.

How to Go to Manila Chinatown Binondo
 
 From San Juan & Quezon City: Take the LRT 2 and get off at the final stop, Recto Station. From here, you can take any Divisoria-bound jeep and get off at Benavidez Street right after the first estero (canal). You can walk from here.
From Manila (city) & Makati: Take the LRT 1 and get off at Carriedo Station. Get out and walk towards the Carriedo Fountain/Sta. Cruz Church. In front of the church, you should find a Chinese arch flanked on one side by an old, decrepit (if attractive) building. The street behind the arch, the same one filled with jewelry shops, is Ongpin. That's one of the main streets of Binondo.