Visitors to the country will most likely land in one of the international airports of Metro-Manila. Most will opt to stay for a day or two to explore the place before heading to their planned destinations. The question in most of their minds is what to do while on this stopover?
Every major city in the world has a Chinatown. Binondo is the Philippine’s foremost Chinatown. Binondo was a settlement during the Spanish era and were mainly occupied by the Chinese immigrants. They were left alone outside the city walls and even had their own governing body. Take note that Binondo is the world’s first Chinatown established in 1594 by the Spanish Governor Luis Perez Dasmarinas. He meant the place to be for the Chinese who converted to Catholicism. Until today, majority of residents and establishments are Filipino-Chinese so visitors should not be surprised if street and store signs are in Chinese characters.
Binondo is a hodge-podge of many establishments. There are jewelry stores, hardware, electronic stores and specialty shops catering to the Filipino-Chinese community. But the main attraction of the area are the restaurants that offer authentic Chinese food. Some have chefs or cooks from mainland China or Hong Kong. Binondo is sometimes referred to as “one big food court”.
There are high-end restaurants as well as small stalls all over the area. From Peking Duck to dim sum, a visitor can savor and delight on these dishes in Binondo.
Binondo is accessible by public transportation or by taxi from most points in Metro-Manila. Stop at the marker welcoming visitors to Binondo and walk the way to the interior and enjoy what Binondo has to offer.
Watch out for TravelGuidePH.com’s guide to Must Try Restaurants in Binondo.
