Manila Chinese Cemetery

The Chinese Cemetery in Manila is quite literally a peaceful oasis of the sleeping dead to be found right in the middle of one of the most chaotic, overcrowded and bustling metropoles in the world. As soon as you enter the gate, you immediately leave behind the noise, stench and overpowering intensity of the capital.  Instead you experience a tranquility scarcely conceivable given the madness that surrounds you on all sides just metres away.

During the Spanish colonial period which lasted until the very end of the nineteenth century, non-Catholics were not allowed to be buried in the city cemeteries. This burial ground therefore became the designated resting place for Chinese citizens who were denied the right to be buried elsewhere. Given the historical presence of a Chinese community in Manila, it is the second oldest cemetery in the entire city.

Consequently, the cemetery itself is huge. It consists of a vast network of roads and alleyways, all of which are lined with mausoleums of some kind, the variety of which is quite astounding to observe. Some are opulent, others basic; some are well-maintained, others dilapidated; some are enormous, others miniature; some are modern, others historical. On occasion, caretakers are employed to guard the edifice, and some even contain electricity and complete kitchen units. Food is left as an offering by some gravestones, while wet washing hanging out to dry is clearly visible in others.

Bicycles appears to be the most common form of transport within the cemetery and there also seems to be an abundance of dogs. Children's graves are grouped together, as are the older graves dating from the nineteenth century. One edifice on the site also commemorates the brutal executions conducted by the Japanese military during the Second World War after prominent Chinese community leaders were rounded up following the invasion in 1941. The Martyrs' Hall monument was erected here in the Fifties to honour those killed as a result.  

The film below contains various images of the cemetery, including the red-brick Chong Hock Tong Temple. Built in the 1850s, this is the oldest Chinese Temple in Manila. The film ends with 3 shots of the Ruby Tower Memorial, commemorating the Chinese-Filipinos who were among the 260 people who perished when the 6-storey Ruby Tower apartment complex collapsed during the deadly earthquake which hit Manila on August 2nd, 1968. A subsequent investigation revealed the tragedy was due to a combination of poor design, deficient construction, inadequate inspection and poor supervision. Despite the fact that more than a dozen people were later charged with murder due to criminal negligence, nobody was ever brought to justice.