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    Tourist Attractions in Manila

    The most interesting and beautiful tourist attractions in Manila. Photos and a brief description.

    Manila
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    About Manila

    The capital of the Philippines is one of the ten most populous cities in the world. During its existence, Manila has experienced many shocks. The main ones are connected with the time of colonization and wars. The Spaniards left behind a cultural heritage, but destroyed a lot of Filipino national values. A variety of attractions have appeared in honor of the independence fighters. Jose Rizal, the hero of his people, was especially honored.

    There is an Intramuros historic district in Manila, where almost every building, building and even walls are an architectural monument. There are many churches, but Kuiapo stands out among them. It houses a statue, for which several million people gather for a procession once a year. Manila is also the cultural center of the state, so the best museums of the Philippines are gathered here.

    Top Tourist Attractions in Manila

    Intramuros

    The oldest district of Manila. Its name means "inside the walls". Despite its historical value, Intramuros remains a residential quarter. Tourists are interested primarily in the buildings of the past, for example, Fort Santiago. The Cathedral of San Augustin is the oldest building in the city, also located on the territory of the district. The surrounding area was improved, golf courses were made on the site of defensive ditches.

    Intramuros
    Fort Santiago

    Fort Santiago

    It appeared in the city thanks to the conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in the XVI century. At the same time, initially the structure was built of logs and embankments. The height of the walls is 6.7 meters, the thickness is up to 2.4 meters. The fort became the place of imprisonment of the popular Filipino hero Jose Rizal until his execution. Now the sites inside the fort are used for recreation, sometimes local theaters arrange outdoor performances.

    Jose Rizal Park

    It began to form in the XVIII century. Initially, it was a square with many functions, for example, decrees were announced here and Filipinos who advocated independence were executed. Among those executed was Jose Rizal, a local hero, after whom the park was later named. On the territory of 60 hectares there are green areas, monuments, a greenhouse, a planetarium, a mausoleum, museums and a lake with a model of the Philippine islands.

    Jose Rizal Park
    Chinatown

    Chinatown

    Chinatown developed rapidly after the Philippines gained independence. It occupies two districts: Santa Cruz and Binondo. Chinatown may seem compact: walking along the main street will take a little more than 10 minutes. At the same time, there are many shops, interesting buildings and their own cultural traditions. Therefore, it will take time to study the area. Especially noteworthy are workshops where objects are made of gold and silver.

    Division

    The market is located in the center of the Old Town. It differs from many typical Asian trading places. Modern malls and small shops are adjacent to each other in a large space, famous brands are sold next door from a handicraft craftsman. You can buy everything in the Division: from food to clothes and jewelry. The peak of the shopping season is a couple of weeks before the start of the school year and before the New Year holidays.

    Division

    Memorare Manila Monument

    It was inaugurated in 1995 in the Intramuros area. It was created in memory of the people who died during the liberation of Manila from the Japanese invaders in 1945. In the center of the sculptural composition is a woman with a lifeless baby in her arms, and around five more figures, also on the verge. There are a lot of symbolic things in the monument. The battle lasted for a month, and at that time about 100 thousand civilians were killed.

    Manila Cathedral

    It is located in the historical part of the city. The cathedral was consecrated in honor of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the current status of the cathedral, it has been arriving since the time of the colonists. The building that stands on this site now is the sixth in a row. The first church was built in 1571, the last in 1958. Because of the constant rebuilding, the cathedral turned out to be so unusual - combining different styles: neo—Byzantine, Romanesque and Renaissance.

    Manila Cathedral
    St. Augustine 's Church

    St. Augustine 's Church

    The construction took the first years of the XVII century, which makes the church the oldest in the Philippines. Carvings on doors and benches, Baroque decorations, sculptures in the courtyard, as well as the ceiling painted by Italian artists are the main features of the temple. There are several graves of famous people on the territory of the church. In 1993, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

    Binondo Church

    Another name is the Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz. Founded by Dominican monks. The original building has not been preserved. The current one was built in 1852. The bell tower is large and massive. It has an octagon at its base and dates back to the end of the XVI century. Although the church was damaged during the Second World War, the bell tower remained almost untouched. The restoration of the temple was long and ended only in 1984.

    Binondo Church
    St. Sebastian 's Church

    St. Sebastian 's Church

    In the second half of the century before last, four churches were successively built on this site. The first three were destroyed, and the basilica, dated 1891, has survived to this day. Its architectural style is Neo—Gothic. The peculiarity of the church is a prefabricated metal structure. This is done to protect the building from earthquakes. There are no similar religious sites in the world. The main shrine is the figure of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.

    Kuiapo Church

    It was erected in 1928. There are full-length sculptures in the niches of the facade and on the fence. The main value of the church is the statue of the "Black Nazarene". A procession is held annually in her honor, attracting several million people. The rest of the time, people come to the statue with worship and prayer. The Church also conducts side activities, for example, provides the services of a doctor and a lawyer to the poor.

    Kuiapo Church
    Malate Church

    Malate Church

    It was built by Augustinian monks on the shore of Manila Bay at the end of the XVI century. Natural disasters and wars did not allow the first building to survive. Reconstructions and repairs were carried out constantly. The last restoration took place in the second half of the last century. The facade is very unusual for a Catholic church. It is called a symbiosis of Baroque and Muslim architecture. The walls inside are decorated with frescoes.

    Casa Manila

    It is located in the center of Intramuros and not far from the Cathedral of St. Augustine. This ethnographic complex is a small area where the local bourgeoisie lived. The houses have preserved not only their appearance. The interior decoration also corresponds to the past and status of the former owners. The walls of Manila were needed, among other things, to separate the Spaniards and the Filipinos. Therefore, the quarter was always separate.

    Casa Manila
    National Museum of Fine Arts

    National Museum of Fine Arts

    The former name is the National Art Gallery. The building was built in 1921. Earlier, legislators sat here. It was transferred to the museum in 1998. The collection is diverse, all the halls are unique in their design. Paintings, sculptures, frescoes and stained glass windows from churches and even parts of the facades of buildings are on public display. There are works by famous masters of different periods and valuable historical objects.

    National Museum of Anthropology

    It used to be called the Museum of the Filipino People. The building has five floors, and each has separate exhibitions on topics. One of the exhibitions is dedicated to the collapse of the San Diego Legion, there are exhibits telling about the ivory trade in the region. The museum has a library. Even in the courtyard of the complex there are museum exhibits, for example, a model of a typical Filipino dwelling of the past.

    National Museum of Anthropology
    National Museum of Natural History

    National Museum of Natural History

    It has been operating since 2018. The funds are collected from several museums of similar subjects, combined into one. The building was built in 1940, but it originally had a different purpose. During the Second World War it was destroyed, and after the war it was restored to its former place and in the same form. Before the collection of the Natural History Museum was placed here, the building was rebuilt, spending about a billion pounds.

    Museum of Light and Sound

    The exposition is divided into three parts: the period before the Spanish colonization, the time when the conquistadors commanded the country, the life and struggle for independence of Jose Rizal. The peculiarity of the museum is that the tour is accompanied by sounds and a video sequence. The transition from hall to hall is like a change of a historical epoch. Interactive components allow you to feel like a participant in events. This makes it easier and more interesting to perceive information.

    Museum of Light and Sound
    by Bahai Tsina

    by Bahai Tsina

    It was founded in 1996, and opened to visitors three years later. Dedicated to the contribution of Chinese migrants to the development of the Philippines. The collection is divided into several parts. Exhibits – items belonging to members of the Chinese diaspora, evidence of the uprising of the Chinese of the XVII century, ceramics, drawings and photographs. The museum has a library, an auditorium for lectures, a theater studio.

    Cultural Center of the Philippines

    Opened in the early 2000s. The design of the building and the surrounding area was handled by Leandro Loksin. The center has an impressive size and accommodates several cultural institutions. Among them: theater of traditional arts, art gallery, museums of musical instruments and art. The concert hall accommodates about 5 thousand spectators. The square around is decorated with fountains, and its lawn remains green throughout the year.

    Cultural Center of the Philippines
    Metropolitan Museum of Art

    Metropolitan Museum of Art

    It was originally opened in 1976 for international exhibitions. Only works by foreign artists were exhibited in the halls of the museum. In 1986, changes were made to the rules, and local famous and fashionable masters also gained access to the Subway. There are also permanent exhibitions, for example, the ground floor is reserved for an exhibition of gold products of the VIII-XIII centuries and ceramics of the pre-Columbian period.

    University of Santo Tomas

    The oldest existing university in Asia. It was founded in 1611 by Spanish missionaries. In addition, the university is the largest Catholic university in the world. At the moment there are more than 44 thousand students studying here. His motto translates as "Truth in mercy." The university buildings are located on an area of more than 21 hectares. The architecture of the buildings combines the heritage of the past and modern solutions.

    University of Santo Tomas
    Paco Park

    Paco Park

    In the past, there was a large cemetery on this site. Burials on the territory ceased in 1912. The remains of some people were subsequently moved to other parts of the city. There are no external reminders of the cemetery left. In 1966, a park was laid out here. The area is 4 thousand m2. Once a week, a music show is held in the park. Weddings and lavish celebrations are also often arranged here.

    Manila Ocean Park

    The city's first themed marine entertainment center. The aquarium offers a lot of entertainment: from leisurely walks among aquariums to educational programs. Visitors can feed penguins, visit a spa salon, watch the tricks of sea lions, ride local attractions. In addition to aquatic mammals and fish, there is a section with birds. There are also exotic ones among them.

    Manila Ocean Park
    Fort Drum

    Fort Drum

    It was built in the early years of the last century. The fort is also called the "Concrete Battleship". It is located at the entrance to Manila Bay. Currently, the island and the fortifications occupying it look more like ruins in the middle of the water. The fort was particularly badly damaged during the Second World War, when there were battles between the US and Japanese troops. At the same time, part of the walls, several guns and towers are well preserved.

    Corregidor Island

    From Manila to the island can be reached by ferry. The corregidor has modest dimensions: 6.5 km long and about 3 km wide. It has a rich history associated with the settlement of fishermen and the parking of pirates. With the arrival of the Spaniards, a lighthouse appeared here, and the Americans built a military base. At the moment, a number of attractions can be viewed on the island, including the Eternal Flame, the War Memorial, the Japanese Garden of Peace.

    Corregidor Island