This was the excursion I was least excited about. I don't really like going to cemeteries, especially ones where I have no relatives. Cemeteries make me sad and uncomfortable and honestly, I was expecting it to be really creepy. On the way there, I was making it worse for myself because I kept thinking about all the scary stories I've heard about cemeteries and graveyards in Hawaii. But when I got there, it was nothing like I expected! It really wasn't scary at all. It felt more like a deserted town and had a abandoned/eerie feeling about it. It very much, as our tour guide said, like a town for the dead.
Graced with another great tour guide, we were also able to learn more about the Chinese community and their history in the Philippines. From our tour, I learned that the Chinese were denied burial at Catholic cemeteries during Spanish Colonial period. Moreover, this is the reason why the Chinese Cemetery was built. The cemetery is also the final resting place for many notable Chinese and Chinese-Filipinos as many of them were able to find success after moving to the country.
The Manila Chinese Cemetery is the second oldest cemetery (La Loma Cemetery being the oldest) in the Philippines and is biggest one I've ever been to. It also had the most complex graves I've ever seen. Some even looked like actual houses. As we were walking around, our tour guide pointed out that many of graves had amenities such as bathrooms and dining tables. I even saw that some had gardens, statues, and fountains. This, however, wasn't for the deceased but for the family and friends that would come to visit. Sometimes, as our guide mentioned, visitors would stay overnight or for a couple of days. I also noticed that some of the graves also had guards dogs and locks. This, I assume, was to protect the graves from thieves. In my opinion, the elaborateness of the various graves and tombs showed how much the Chinese value family and legacy.
Another unique trait our tour guide mentioned was that some of the gravesites had three spaces. This, he said, was for the men who had two wives. As the man would have given both of his wives a house when they were living, he would also provide both of them a place to rest after they died. Each wife, our guide said, would have been treated equally in all aspects. This was the first time I saw anything like this. I thought it interesting and definitely appreciated the chance to see something so uncommon.
Graced with another great tour guide, we were also able to learn more about the Chinese community and their history in the Philippines. From our tour, I learned that the Chinese were denied burial at Catholic cemeteries during Spanish Colonial period. Moreover, this is the reason why the Chinese Cemetery was built. The cemetery is also the final resting place for many notable Chinese and Chinese-Filipinos as many of them were able to find success after moving to the country.
The Manila Chinese Cemetery is the second oldest cemetery (La Loma Cemetery being the oldest) in the Philippines and is biggest one I've ever been to. It also had the most complex graves I've ever seen. Some even looked like actual houses. As we were walking around, our tour guide pointed out that many of graves had amenities such as bathrooms and dining tables. I even saw that some had gardens, statues, and fountains. This, however, wasn't for the deceased but for the family and friends that would come to visit. Sometimes, as our guide mentioned, visitors would stay overnight or for a couple of days. I also noticed that some of the graves also had guards dogs and locks. This, I assume, was to protect the graves from thieves. In my opinion, the elaborateness of the various graves and tombs showed how much the Chinese value family and legacy.
Another unique trait our tour guide mentioned was that some of the gravesites had three spaces. This, he said, was for the men who had two wives. As the man would have given both of his wives a house when they were living, he would also provide both of them a place to rest after they died. Each wife, our guide said, would have been treated equally in all aspects. This was the first time I saw anything like this. I thought it interesting and definitely appreciated the chance to see something so uncommon.