Bahay Tsinoy Museum

Business will always be in their blood.

Bahay Tsinoy (Chinese-Filipino House) is a museum located inside Intramuros, Manila. Housed in Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center building, the museum documents the lives and contributions of the Chinese in the Philippines.

The museum is unique for their life-sized exhibits and some are even modeled from rare prints and photographs.

Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center's facade.

This three-floor building is fully air-conditioned and was designed by Arch. Rogelio G. Villarosa with an American Colonial Architectural style. The museum is divided into different sections that introduces us to the role that the Chinese played from pre-colonial period up to the present time. The museum opened in 1999 and has been active since then.

Museum's spacious lobby.

Entrance to the museum proper.

Sangley is a term used in the Philippines during the Spanish era to describe a person of pure Chinese ancestry.

Mestizo de Sangley refers to a person of mixed Chinese and Filipino ancestry.

Tsinoy (from the Spanish word Chino, and the word Pinoy) is also used to refer to a person of Chinese and is wildly used today.

Early Contacts

The Chinese entered the Philippines as traders for years prior to Spanish colonization. With the increased in business opportunities and work, many emigrated to the Philippines. They established concentrated communities first in Manila, then in other cities.

 

The Galleon Trade

Ancient Coins

These coins said to be circulated between 7th and 14th century. These specimens were found in Cebu, Leyte, and Bohol.

The Parian

The Parian which is located in Intramuros as well was built by the Spaniards to house Chinese merchants in 16th and 17th century. In 1583, it was burned down and the Chinese community later moved to Binondo, Sta. Cruz and Tondo.

A diorama depicting the 1583 destruction of Parian.

 Colonial Culture

These life-sized exhibits are based on real photographs depicting the occupations of early Chinese - merchants, laborers and artisans.

A Public Reader in Manila.

For a fee, he reads and writes letters for illiterate Chinese.

A Chinese Cobbler.

His kit is in baskets supported by a stick across his shoulders. Shoes can be fixed in the streets, or anywhere convenient.

 A Chinese goldsmith at work.

Facade of San Agustine Church.

A Chinese peddler selling food.

 A Chinese Textile Merchant.

 Carpenters.

Many churches, monasteries, hospitals and stone houses were built by Chinese laborers.

A wealthy Chinese merchant.

Tombstones recovered from Sta. Ana Church.

Life and Economy in the 1800s

  

Example of a typical sari-sari store owned by Chinese.

Typical Mestizo House during 1800s.

Gallery of Rare Prints and Photographs

Chinese in the Philippines have a really rich history that can be traced back in the 16th century and it is evident in Chinese-Filipino communities here in the Philippines. The enthusiasm, the hard work, and the love for businesses to survive without depending to anyone in their family are good traits that we can take as an inspiration in our lives today.

Bahay Tsinoy Museum

32 Anda Cor. Cabido St.

Intramuros, Manila

open Tuesdays to Sunday, 1pm to 5pm

Entrace fee is P100 each (P60 for students)

Sources:

http://www.bahaytsinoy.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahay_Tsinoy

Escolta Museum

Old Manila.

Before the rise of Makati, Ortigas and Bonifacio Global City (BGC) as business districts, there was only one street in Manila where people go to visit the numerous restaurants, boutiques, shops and department stores that sold the latest clothes, jewelries, etc. It was indeed the go-to place of the elites, businessmen, rich, famous, young and restless people and considered to be the business capital in the early 1900s - ESCOLTA.

Today, if you go to Escolta, you will no longer witness even just a tiny hint of what once a lively, busy street. The only means where you can experience a glimpse of Escolta before was through Escolta Museum located inside the Calvo building.

Calvo building's facade.

The intricate design is a fine example of beaux-arts architecture.

The building opened in 1938 and was built by Edificio Calvo and designed by Fernando Ocampo. It is a fine example of beaux-arts architecture that survived the bombings of the second world war. It is located just in front of the once famous Capitol Theater designed by none other than Juan Nakpil, national artist for Architecture.

The Capitol Theater just in front of Calvo building. The theater is now closed.
 









For an entrance fee of P50, you can wander through this two-room museum that displays the collection of vintage bottles, print ads, movie posters, music sheets, still photos, newspaper articles, journals and publications from the early 1900s.

Upon reaching the second floor and entrance to the museum, you will be greeted by still photos of the destruction of Escolta during war.

The smaller room houses the newspaper articles, journals and publications from the Spanish and American period.

The nearby room and the larger one has the collection of vintage bottles, print ads and movie posters.

Movie posters from the golden age. Have you ever wonder what Gloria Romero, Charito Solis, Rosa Rosal and other artists looked like when they were younger?

 Music Sheets

Long before Bb. Pilipinas, the most beautiful women in the country compete in a pageant known as Carnival.

Some of the vintage bottles on display. They have a wide collection of soda, ink, medicine bottles, etc.

Samples of print ads. The price of a Ford car is P795 which is a lot back then.

 

Escolta museum does not have much collections to fully transport you back in time but it is a good reminder that the Escolta we knew today is far from how it was before. It was the birthplace of luxury, social gatherings and was once an epitome of elegance and beauty of Old Manila.

Escolta Museum

Calvo Building 

266 Escolta St. cor. Soda Street

Binondo, Manila

open Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 5pm and Saturdays, 9am to 12nn

Entrace fee is P50 each (P20 for students)

Sources:

http://www.spot.ph/entertainment/56462/10-reasons-to-revisit-the-calvo-museum-in-escolta?page=1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escolta_Street