Binondo

The world's oldest Chinatown. Binondo is a historic district of Manila on the north bank of the Pasig River, across from the walled city of Intramuros. Established by the Spanish colonial authorities in 1594 as a settlement for Catholic Chinese, it is widely regarded as the oldest Chinatown in the world, and it has remained the commercial and cultural heart of the Filipino-Chinese community for more than four centuries.

A dense, dynamic quarter. Binondo's tight grid of streets is packed with trading houses, gold and jewellery shops, herbal medicine halls, hardware stores and a constant flow of delivery carts and jeepneys. It is above all a place to eat, famous for hole-in-the-wall restaurants, dim sum houses and street stalls serving hopia, dumplings, noodles and hybrid Filipino-Chinese specialities that have shaped the national palate.

Landmarks amid the bustle. At its centre stands the Minor Basilica of Binondo Church, with its distinctive octagonal bell tower, a reminder of the district's origins as a Catholic Chinese parish. Ornate arches mark the entrances to the quarter, and older buildings, ancestral halls and small temples are woven among the shops, reflecting the blend of Chinese and Spanish colonial heritage.

Visiting. Binondo is reached across the historic bridges from Intramuros and central Manila, and food-focused walking tours are a popular way to navigate its maze of lanes. There is no admission to the district; costs are low, especially for street food. It is busiest and most colourful by day and around the Lunar New Year, when the streets fill with lion dances and celebration. Wear comfortable shoes, come hungry and be ready for crowds and traffic in one of the city's liveliest quarters. Ornate friendship arches and centuries-old ancestral halls reward those who look up from the shopfronts.