Chinese cemetery revisited

Nov 1 is 2 wks away, and I know I will be absent and wont get the chance to

visit my maternal grand parents as cars wont be allowed inside.

and I might not be able to make it in time for Rence Chan's Spooktacular  tour.

so I was very lucky to be invited by my friend Rache to take a peek inside.

this time, to the R. Papa side. where the old tombs of the old Rich, and wealthy

businessmen's ancestors are located.... facing Rizal Ave.

and so we agreed to meet at the newly renovated temple and I decided to park

in front of Martyr's Hall.

Before I start my story, this blog will be full of pictures,  as I wanted to present

how beautiful the tombs and mauseleum are.so, please bear with me

here is the newly renovated Chong Hok tong temple. and I still prefer the old look.

across the temple is another newly renovated tomb.

The Chinese Cemetery ocular a few days ago sheds light on Philippine Chinese history 

and traditions. here, I saw again the second oldest cemetery in Manila after 

La Loma Cemetery and was designated as the resting place for the Chinese citizens 

who were denied burial in Catholic cemeteries during the Spanish colonial period. 

thanks to Tan Quien Sien (Carlos Palanca) It was through his efforts the cemetery 

was built. During the Spanish colonial period, non-Catholics weren't allowed to be 

buried in the city cemeteries. Hence the need for the non-Christian Chinese to have 

their own cemetery.

image by:Mike Lu

inside this 54-hectare complex, you will observe a residential village like suburb

with streets lined with mausoleums, some of which feature fancy crystal chandeliers,

landscaped gardens and restrooms with aircon even antique Chinese furniture. 

mausoleums of extravagance and beauty are an expression of wealth and a way

of showing what the "dead" had achieved in life. you may observe that some 

mausoleums had three to four tombs laid beside each other. its because a small

number of rich men had 2 or even three wives at the same time. 

the oldest tomb dates back at around 1870s, a time when Chinese immigrants 

were prohibited from living inside Intramuros and burying their dead in Catholic 

cemeteries.apart from seeing richly-decorated and interesting mausoleums, you 

can also observe different kind of birds who frequent the trees.

as you enjoy this more historical and cultural activity, the best experience is to 

bring your own bike and take shots of each unique Chinese style mausoleum 

your eye can see. watch our for mosquitos.

restoration has started in some of the tombs, and repainting can be seen in 

other tombs

an old tree with roots.....

beautiful altars with ornate carvings

this one is my favorite.

here are some tombs that can be found on the Rizal Ave. side. when
you take a ride from the LRT looking down.

old tombs with decorations

and after 3 hrs we are not yet done! but the sun wanted to tell us to call it a day
and get back again another day...

so thats it, we will  be back. and hopefully we will have more pictures.
till here. this is your LOVERBOY Dennis signing out.