Cultural sightseeing in Philippines

Attractions in the Philippines are very diverse. They are represented by colonial-era buildings, natural attractions, and indigenous villages. You can spend time in a variety of interesting ways here. The Spaniards landed on the Islands in the XVI century. They began to impose their history and culture on the locals. This led not only to the adoption of Catholicism by most of the population and the abundance of Spanish names and surnames but also the traditional Spanish buildings in many localities. Guildhall is usually located on the square or rectangular Plaza Mayor. It is surrounded by beautiful buildings. The streets originate from the square.

Vigan was founded at the end of the XVI century by the Spaniards. It began to build up quickly according to the standard scheme: wide squares and smooth streets paved with cobblestones. The peculiarity of a Vigan is that the colonial-era buildings have survived intact. The city is fully included in the UNESCO World Heritage List due to this fact. Squares and streets are built up with houses of the XVI-XVII centuries. The Archbishop's residence and the Cathedral, built in the Baroque style under the obvious influence of local architecture, have also been preserved. The old buildings are occupied by shops, museums, cafes, and restaurants. They are also used as residential buildings. It is problematic to move around the city by car. Therefore, horse-drawn carriages are common here. You can see many festive carriages that are lavishly decorated during the festival on January 25.

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. This is a rather ugly and dirty modern city. You should visit it to see the Intramuros area. Its name literally translates as "inside the walls". This place was founded by the Conquistador Lopez de Legazpi at the end of the XVI century. It was used as a defensive citadel. Stone fortifications were designed to protect the young city from pirates and Muslims who wanted to spread their influence on the Islands. Many colonial-era structures were destroyed during World War II. The Cathedral building, fort, monasteries, and churches built in the Romanesque and Baroque style have been preserved. Only picturesque ruins remain from the impressive Church of St. Ignatius. It was built in honor of the famous founder of the Jesuit order. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The Spaniards in the Philippines worked hard. This is the third country in the world by the number of Catholics living in it today. Many churches, monasteries, and cathedrals in the elegant Baroque style were built under the influence of the Spaniards. They are located throughout the country. San Agustin Church in Manila is the oldest church in the country. It was built in the Baroque style on the site of two former wooden churches. They were burned in a fire. Originally it was a church attached to the Augustinian Monastery. Manila was almost destroyed during the earthquake in the second half of the XIX century. But the church remained intact. One of the bell towers was demolished as cracks formed on it. The Church of St. Thomas of Villanueva in Miagao is an amazing Rococo structure with a strong influence of local motifs. It was built as a fortress church. This church is more like a castle than a religious building. It has thick walls that are deep in the ground and can withstand both sieges and earthquakes. The facade of the building is decorated with a bas-relief depicting palm trees and other local tropical plants. This is very unusual.

The Saint Augustine Church in Paoay is also built as a fortification and a temple at the same time. Its distinctive feature is the squatness, massiveness of the walls, and the buttress. Construction was carried out taking into account the seismic activity of the region. The facade of the building was built under the influence of the Javanese style with Gothic elements. The materials used in the construction are very unusual. These are coral stones, a solution that includes sugar cane, mango, and leather. The distant bell tower resembles a Romanesque tower and pagoda at the same time. The legend is related to the construction of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin on the island of Luzon. The statue of the Virgin Mary constantly disappeared from its place in the city of Bulle. It appeared in Santa Maria. Local residents considered this an omen. They began to build a temple. The building was built in the Baroque style. But it looks very strict and has no decorations. It is reinforced with buttresses to protect it from earthquakes.

The Taoist temple in Cebu is almost a modern building. It was built in the 70s of the last century at the request of believers. The bright, elegant temple rising on a hill is built in the traditional Chinese style. The building is decorated with bright architectural elements. Many tourists come here to visit the temple. However, they are often not related to Taoism. They want to get to the divination ceremony using stones.