Quiapo, Manila

The bustling old downtown. Quiapo is a densely packed district in the city of Manila, north of the Pasig River, often called the "Old Downtown" for its role as a commercial and social crossroads. Crowded, energetic and deeply traditional, it is one of the most vividly alive quarters of the metropolis, where markets, churches and street life blend into a constant flow of people.

Home of the Black Nazarene. At its heart stands Quiapo Church, formally the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, which enshrines a revered dark statue of Christ. Each January the church is the focus of an enormous religious procession that draws millions of barefoot devotees into the streets, one of the largest and most fervent expressions of Catholic devotion in the country, and a defining event of the district.

Markets and street trade. The plaza and surrounding lanes form a vast open-air marketplace. Stalls sell everything from herbal remedies, amulets and religious articles to fresh produce, cheap goods, camera gear and traditional cures, spilling out beneath the church walls and along the arcades of Plaza Miranda. The mix of piety and commerce gives Quiapo an atmosphere found nowhere else in the city.

Visiting. Quiapo is reached by jeepney, the LRT and the historic bridges from the south bank, and is best explored on foot by day, when the markets are in full swing. There is no admission to the district or church. Crowds are intense, especially near the basilica and during the January feast, so keep valuables secure and stay aware of your surroundings. It offers an unvarnished, powerful glimpse of everyday Manila life and faith. Fortune tellers, candle sellers and stalls of medicinal herbs cluster around the plaza, and the surrounding streets hold old mansions and mosques that hint at the district's deeper history.