• Home
  • About Me
  • Food
    • Saladmaster Recipes
  • Travels
  • Finds
    • Shopping
    • Bags
    • Jewelry
    • Fashion
    • Shoes Galore
  • Wedding
  • Events
  • On my Radar
  • Contact Me

THE BRIGHT SPOT

Food. Travel. Bargain finds. Random thoughts. A bright spot for sharing ideas and starting conversations!

Binondo Chinatown Museum

07.12.2021 by Leah // Leave a Comment

The last museum visit we had was 2 years ago at the newly-opened Chinatown Museum inside Lucky Chinatown Mall.  We just got back from the UK and was shopping at the mall when we saw the escalator leading to the museum.

In this museum one will learn (or, in our case, re-learn) the history of Binondo and of our Filipino-Chinese ancestors in a very modern way – through multimedia and visual presentations.

Not much museum pieces on display at that time but it was an interesting tour, nonetheless.

Entrance fees:

The Chinatown Museum has been closed since March 2020 due to community quarantine guidelines, and I can only ask: When the community quarantine is finally lifted, will this museum still be there?

It’s a sad thought, I know, but I have seen too that Chinatown Museum has adapted to the situation and used their Facebook Page to still regularly promote the shared culture and heritage of the Filipino-Chinese community that originated in Binondo.  Children and educators alike will learn a lot about Philippine history too, as they regularly posts art cards and informational videos to commemorate or celebrate historical events.

Let me share with you pictures from our museum tour in July 2019:

The 2nd floor of an Alcaiceria.  The ground floor was dedicated for shops selling textile and various wares, while the 2nd floor houses the merchant and his family.

A Panaderia.  The Chinese did not invent pandesal, but introduced San Nicolas Cookies to our culture and taste buds.  San Nicolas was venerated as the patron saint of the local Chinese, and his image would be elaborately carved on the cookie mold where the cookie dough is pressed.

I had fun playing ‘tindera‘ (shop lady) for a few seconds at “El 82”, a famous art supply store in Calle Juan Luna that was founded in the 1880’s, and frequented by famous Filipino artists such as  Amorsolo and Hidalgo, among others.

Of course, a trip down Binondo’s memory lane will not be complete riding a Calesa…

… and stopping by the original Polland shop for their famously delicious authentic mung bean cakes (Hopia) that has been part of not just Filipino Chinese homes, but Filipinos as well – here and abroad!

Other interesting stops at the museum:

On our way out, we saw this interesting art installation entitled “In a Nutshell”.  It showcased the art of Bernandette Solina-Wolf, a children’s book illustrator, with coconut shells as her medium.  Here she depicted Chinatown characters in the 19th century, with array of subjects from families, children, laborers and even portraits.

I remember feeling very excited after this museum tour, and looked forward to bringing my family here especially my Chinese sister-in-law and Fil-Chinese pamangkin.   But all that will have to wait.

In the meantime, we can continue to learn about our Filipino-Chinese heritage.  Chinatown Museum’s latest activities and other events are accessible virtually.  Check their official Facebook Page for details.

Categories // Travels Tags // arts, chinatown, lucky chinatown, museums

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This blog is all about…

Food. Travel. Bargain finds. Random thoughts. A bright spot for sharing ideas and starting conversations!
Leah De Leon
More about me

GET SOCIAL

Image Map

Search

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive updates from The Bright Spot straight into your inbox!

Recent Posts

  • Investing in Pearl Jewelry in the Time of Online Selling
  • My 2021 in a Nutshell
  • The Plantdemic and How I found Joy in Gardening
  • Our Lady of Fatima Faith Pendant
  • Binondo Chinatown Museum
  • This is #MyNewNormal
  • Christmas in the Time of Corona
  • Product Review: Lasco UV-C Germicidal Lamps
  • Kyoto Food Hits
  • A Cat’s Tale










Archives

dbrightspot

Say Hi to fluffy Noodle, my cat assistant today 🙂 #catnoodle #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlove #quarantinecat #acatstale
@_catcaaat is going loco over Pollo Loco 😆 #ac @_catcaaat is going loco over Pollo Loco 😆

#acatstale #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlove #quarantinecat
Omu Rice 😋 Omu Rice 😋
Peek-a-boo! #GigitheCatBully #acatstale #catstagr Peek-a-boo!

#GigitheCatBully #acatstale #catstagram #catsofinstagram #catlove
To My Father By Georgia Harkness A giant pine, ma To My Father
By Georgia Harkness

A giant pine, magnificent and old
Stood staunch against the sky and all around
Shed beauty, grace and power.
Within its fold birds safely reared their young.
The velvet ground beneath was gentle,
and the cooling shade gave cheer to passers by.
Its towering arms a landmark stood, erect and unafraid,
As if to say, “Fear naught from life’s alarms”.
It fell one day.
Where it had dauntless stood was loneliness and void.
But men who passed paid tribute – and said,
“To know this life was good,
It left it’s mark on me. Its work stands fast”.
And so it lives. Such life no bonds can hold –
This giant pine, magnificent and old.

~

To our shelter and safety while he lived, we miss you so much.
Happy 2nd Year in Heaven, Daddy ❤
@_catcaaat contemplating on election day 😜 Not @_catcaaat contemplating on election day 😜 Not yet decided if he will elect to put @royalcaninph or @shebabrandus or @temptationstreatsnz cat food in his shopping cart for checkout today 😸 Choose wisely, Catcaaat! #lazada0505 #lazadaph
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2022 · Blog Design by Fancy Girl Designs · Built on the Genesis Framework