A Spanish Governor Behind The Oldest Chinatown In The World

Binondo Area 1919. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Chinatown is a destination where tourists often visit when they are visiting major cities in the world. Of course, these cities are outside of China.

Not only in Asia, but Chinatown is also found in Australia, America, and Europe. Its history is also long, along with the presence of the Chinese community in the city.

Of the many Chinatowns in the world, which one is the oldest? The answer is Binondo, a Chinatown located in Manila City, Philippines.

Binondo was founded in 1594 by the governor-general of Spain in the Philippines, Luis Perez Dasmarinas. Of course, it was built not for free, this area was established for Chinese immigrants who were willing to convert to Catholicism, cited from pilotguides.

One of the entrance gates to the Binondo Chinatown in Manila. (Wikimedia Commons / Ramon FVelasquez)

Located across the Pasig River, Binondo also has a cathedral built by Governor Dasmarinas. This area also developed into a trade center run by Chinese immigrants and their descendants who have mixed Chinese and Filipino blood.

Binondo was founded with various facilities. The land in the area is a grant, it is free of tax and has the right to determine its own government but on a limited basis.

There is only one condition, which is to convert to Catholicism. Otherwise, they will be expelled or killed. This is one of the fastest-growing populations of Chinese descent in the region. Governor Dasmarinas also wrote a dark history. His name is said to have played an important role in the killing of 24,000 Chinese citizens after the uprising that occurred in 1603.

Aerial photo of the Binondo area. (Wikipedia Commons / Patrick Roque)

After Binondo, a number of Chinatowns were established in several regions in Asia, along with the arrival of immigrants who mostly worked as traders. Like in Nagasaki, Japan and Hoi An in Vietnam which was founded in 1600. Then there is Glodok in Jakarta which was founded in 1740 and Yaowarat Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand which was founded in 1782.

Now, like other Chinatown areas, Binondo is a tourist destination that presents a mix of Chinese, Filipino and Spanish culture. Hunting for culinary is a certain thing to do when tourists go there, then there are traditional Chinese medicine shops, to the traditional Arranque Market which provides the basic ingredients of Chinese culinary, and, of course, there are temples as a characteristic of Chinatown, namely Kuang Kong Temple, and Seng Guan Temple.