Manila’s Chinatown is poised to gain two towering structures—a pagoda and a temple—that are seen to dramatically enhanced the district’s skyline and attract more foreign and local visitors.
City administrator Bernardito Ang, in a talk with reporters at a prominent restaurant in Luneta said the twin projects would be built at no expense of the city government.
“We’re building the tallest and most beautiful pagoda that will surely attract local and foreign tourists. That would mean more jobs for Manileños and more income for the City of Manila,” Ang said.
Pagodas are usually towerlike, multi-storey structures, either solid or hollow, and made of stone, brick, or wood, traditionally associated with Buddhism, thus normally found in such Asian countries as Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
A pagoda traditionally serves as a temple or memorial of cultural and religious significance among its devotees.
Ang said the pagoda project is a collaborative effort among stakeholders dedicated to promoting Chinatown as a premier tourism and commerce hub in Manila.
“It’s a community effort. The city (government) is not spending a single centavo because we are working with stakeholders from the Chinese community,” Ang added.
Chinatown’s projected pagoda would be an 18-story structure, is set to commence construction next month, with preparatory works already underway along the riverside, Ang said.
Jeff Lau, head of the Manila Chinatown Barangay Organization (MCBO), said the materials used, including components are sourced directly from China, including the fence, bridge, concrete floors, and distinctive lion heads adorning the fence.
The second project is a 16 to 17 storey temple designed to complement the pagoda.
The twin projects are a joint initiative among the MCBO, the city government, and the Manila Chinatown Development Council (MCDC).
Ang shared that during the initial stages of construction, live snakes were discovered in a watery portion of the excavation—a sign of good things to come, according to Chinese beliefs.
The Pagoda construction is just one facet of the broader collaboration between MCDC and the city government, marking the on-going celebration of the
430th anniversary of Manila Chinatown, beginning with the Chinese New Year’s countdown on the midnight of Feb. 9, highlighted by a 12-minute fireworks display at the Fil-Chinese Friendship center.
In the afternoon, a grand parade featuring about 30 floats, will start at the Manila Post Office in Lawton and end at the Lucky Chinatown in Divisoria.