⌛ Travel To China Via Philippines

I bet you’re thinking that either the title’s mistyped or the writer’s drunk but indeed, what I’m saying is true – you can really travel to China just by going to the Philippines. And you know how that can happen? All you have to do is make a side trip to Ongpin in Binondo, Manila and that’s it – you’re in China!
By now, I guess you’re getting where I’m going to. Naturally, it’s physically impossible to get to China by traveling to the Philippines but if your travel plans include the Philippines and you’re interested to know how it feels to be in China, all you have to do is go to Ongpin and that’s it!

The Filipino-Chinese Relationship
Even way, way back, the Philippines have been in constant communication with Chinese merchants and a lot of Chinese farmers from the distant provinces of China have preferred to migrate to the Philippines because they believed that the Philippines has a lot more to offer them than their own country. And after that, the rest was history. If you take a closer look at the entrepreneurial scene of the Philippines, you’d notice that a lot of the country’s richest magnates are of Chinese descent.

Chinatown in the Philippines
Think of anything that’s remotely Chinese and chances are, you’d find it in Ongpin, dubbed also as Chinatown by natives and tourists alike. Let’s enumerate then the activities that you could enjoy in Philippine’s very own Chinatown that’s very reminiscent of China.

Eat what they eat – All dishes of Chinese origin can be found in Ongpin. Dimsum and dumpling, Chinese noodles, Peking Duck and other delightful Chinese dishes can be ordered in any of the numerous restaurants littering the streets of Binondo, Manila. What’s better, most of the restaurants feature very affordable menus so if you feel like cutting down on costs, all you have to do is just order food from those restaurants rather than go for room service.

Want to be a one-day Buddhist? – Or maybe, a one-day-Taoist? In Binondo, there are several Chinese temples that you could visit to see how Buddhists, Taoists and practitioners of other Eastern Religions conduct their rites. In some Chinese temples, you can even have your fortune read. Another opportunity not to be missed is praying using the incense sticks!

Watch performances of the Chinese arts – Enjoy watching performances of Chinese folk dances, dragon dances featuring large dragon mascots carousing in the streets of Binondo and other Chinese inspired performances.