Revitalizing Binondo, the World’s Oldest Chinatown

Historic Binondo, widely regarded as the world’s oldest Chinatown (established in 1594), is being revitalized as part of the Philippine government’s push to preserve, promote, and celebrate the nation’s cultural heritage while boosting local tourism and economic activity.

Binondo has long served as a strategic center of commerce, trade, and finance. (Photo: Andrew G. Contreras, The Financial District)

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on Feb. 13, 2026, together with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, led a walkthrough of the Manila Chinatown Revitalization Project Phase II through the ceremonial lighting of key cultural and historic sites.

Among those illuminated were the La Madre Filipina statue, Santa Cruz Church, MacArthur Bridge, the Four Gates of Chinatown, and major streets such as Ongpin Street, Quintin Paredes and Sabino Padilla.

The event also featured projection mapping at Binondo Church.

The initiative aims to strengthen cultural pride, bolster heritage tourism and support sustainable urban renewal.

“This way, Binondo becomes more accessible and more appreciated by more people, especially the younger generation. These efforts will reinforce the district’s historical role as a center of trade, faith and community, and support culture-based tourism and local economic activity,” the President said.

Prime destination in the heart of Manila

Binondo celebrates more than four centuries of Filipino-Chinese heritage, ensuring this legacy can be seen, appreciated, and shared by present and future generations.

It remains a prime destination for culture, touris,m and business in the Philippine capital.

The district features places, events, and landmarks including Chinese New Year festivities, sites referenced by José Rizal in Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz, Escolta Street, the Chinatown Arch, Jones Bridge, and Ongpin Street.

Ongpin is a well-known gastronomic and cultural hotspot lined with Chinese businesses, tea houses, restaurants, and hawker-style stalls serving dim sum and traditional cuisine. (Photo: Andrew G. Contreras, The Financial District)

Ongpin is a well-known gastronomic and cultural hotspot lined with Chinese businesses, tea houses, restaurants, and hawker-style stalls serving dim sum and traditional cuisine.

Binondo has long served as a strategic center of commerce, trade, and finance. It has been a hub for entrepreneurship, a bustling retail and wholesale district, and a major draw for tourism and cultural exchange.

Many formative ventures that later grew into some of the country’s largest business empires started here.

It is also a key marketplace for wholesale and retail goods, particularly in nearby Divisoria and Tutuban.

The Binondo Central Bank operated here in the early 1980s with the aim of narrowing the gap between the U.S. dollar–peso official rate and the black-market rate.

As a financial hub, the district — especially Escolta Street — has been called the “Wall Street of the Philippines,” hosting major banking and financial institutions since before World War II.

Celebrating diplomatic relations

In June 2025, Marcos unveiled the first phase of the Chinatown Revitalization Project.

Marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China, the President and the First Lady led the ceremonial lighting of Jones Bridge, often described as the “queen of Manila’s bridges,” spanning the Pasig River and linking central Manila to Binondo.

The effort complements the government’s “Pasig: Bigyang Buhay Muli” campaign, which seeks to restore the river as a vibrant corridor for tourism and commerce.

Marcos said the Pasig River Ferry system would be developed to link Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay.

“From reclaiming public spaces such as Plaza Mexico and expanding pedestrian corridors toward Arroceros Forest Park, to modernizing river transport and clearing our waterways, we are restoring life to the river and the communities beside it. Now people can walk, jog, or bike from neighboring Intramuros, pass the Manila Central Post Office, cross Jones Bridge, and arrive here in Binondo,” he said.

“Beyond its age, what makes this place special is its long story of commerce, faith, and culture between Filipinos and the Chinese community. This initiative is all about honoring shared histories and giving the district the attention and respect it deserves,” the President added.