The grandeur of the Intramuros

The grandeur of the Intramuros

By By Manta Klangboonkrong
DAILY XPRESS, Manila
Published on July 17, 2009
Manila began as a walled Spanish fortress, and much of the colonial|setting's charm has been restored


The Philippines is a huge country with its thousands of little islets and immensely diverse in terms of culture as well. As a first-time visitor with only one day, fully devoted to Manila, my best option to see as much culture as possible was the Intramuros.


The word is Latin for "within the walls", and it's a good name for this (formerly) walled city erected by the Spanish during their 16th-century occupation of Manila.


This alone was Manila at the time, in fact, a colony covering less than a square kilometre, enclosed within a fortress with a moat, churches and the homes of high-ranking Spanish officers and the local elite.


The thick stone wall was typical of mediaeval Spanish bastions elsewhere in the world, but here it was rendered unique by its the setting among tropical flora, not to mention the highly diverse local community.


Sadly, very little remains of the great wall, only remnants left over from the combined assault of American and Philippines commonwealth troops during World War II. Flushing out the occupying Japanese turned the fortress into rubble.


In the 1980s, though, the Intramuros itself was restored, and today this is the only district of Manila where the old Spanish-era influence lingers, a souvenir of colonial times.


You can stroll around the old town or hop on one of the decorated horse-drawn carriages called calesa. There are quite a few historical buildings to see, including San Augustin Church, which has a stunning interior, and the Manila Cathedral, elevated to the rank of minor basilica in 1981 by Pope John Paul II.

Saintly statues


You'll see many old office buildings in grand nostalgic styles, such as the Palacio del Gobernador, now government offices, and the Casa Manila Museum. Statues of Spanish kings and Catholic saints stand in small, shady gardens at every turn.


Fort Santiago is a former military base that's now home to breathtaking gardens and offers a mix of historic features and refreshing drinks.


And you can't leave Manila without a nod to the Philippines' national heroes in the 60-hectare Rizal Park, not far from the Intramuros.


Here you can pay tribute at the execution site and tomb of activist and scholar Dr Jose Rizal and the larger-than-life statue of Lapu-Lapu, the first native son to resist Spanish colonisation.

Reitaisai

Reitaisai
Reitaisai
Dates:September 14th-16th
Place:Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine
City:2-1-31, Yukinoshita, Kamakura City,
Kanagawa Prefectur


This is the Reitaisai of the 800-year old Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine. It consists of numerous events such as offerings of Kamakura kagura music performed when paying homage to deities, a tea-offering ceremony to the gods and classical Japanese dance. Yet the greatest attraction of all is, no doubt, the gallant Yabusame (held on the 16th) which passes down the ancient traditions of the Kamakura Period.

Yabusame is a contest combining equestrian skills and Japanese-style archery which was popular among the samurai warriors from the end of the Heian Period (794-1192) to the Kamakura Period (1192-1333). Along a straight riding ground which extends over approximately 250 meters, targets 1, 2 and 3 are set up, and archers on horseback shoot at these one after the other. If an archer scores a direct hit, he receives a round of applause from the tens of thousands of spectators. The archers are dressed in samurai hunting wear called age shozoku just like in the Kamakura Period, and use turnip-head arrows which make a whistling sound as they fly through the air.

The festival is conducted over three days from September 14th to 16th. The 14th is the Yoimiyasai, or the eve of the festival. On the 15th, there is the Big Annual Festival when numerous worshippers are welcomed by the shrine head and staff, unmarried women serving gods and young girls serving gods as well as performing dances to the accompaniment of music. The Shinkosai parade of parishioner carrying portable shrines is also held followed by a procession of several hundred meters marching through the streets.

*Photo (C) Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine

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Chochin Matsuri

Chochin Matsuri
Dai-Chochin Matsuri
(Giant Lantern Festival)
Dates:August 26th and 27th
Place:Suwa Shrine
City:129 Isshiki Aza Miyazoe, Isshiki-cho Oaza, Hazu-gun, Aichi Prefecture


This festival features enormous chochin (paper lanterns), also known as "amazingly gigantic lanterns," which measure over 5 meters in diameter and 10 meters in length. The 12 sets of paper lanterns appearing at the festival are depicted with pictures and Chinese characters which embody all kinds of meanings and stories. The scene of the Dai-Chochin Tsuriage when the huge brightly-colored paper lanterns are hoisted up very slowly is just breathtaking.

The festival originates in a legend dating back about 450 years. At that time, a fire usually ignited to illuminate the surroundings for patrolling was lit at Suwa Shrine in order to drive away sea demons which emerged from the sea, ravaging the fields and bringing serious harm upon the inhabitants. Ever since then, it became the custom to ignite kagari-bi as a Shinto ritual at the festival. These kagari-bi were later replaced by chochin lanterns and competition to produce the biggest and most gorgeous lanterns has resulted in their present form.

The most exciting scene of the festival is when gigantic 1-meter tall candles are lit inside the enormous chochin lanterns. As soon as the candles are lit, the colorful motifs of famous Japanese myths, etc. depicted on the chochin lanterns appear, creating a world of fantasy. This is truly a moment of Japanese myths and old folktales being passed down through the generations. Spectators also experience a pleasant sense of excitement as if witnessing a historic scene.



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