Binondo is situated in the National Capital Region near the heart of the city of Manila in the Philippines and is regarded as the Chinatown of the region. Binondo is a presiding power of commerce and trade in addition to containing several cultural and historic landmarks. Binondo serves as a prime retail and cuisine hotspot for visitors, presenting a fair arsenal of both day and nighttime activities.
Binondo contains some of the country’s oldest and most significant cultural buildings, notably the Binondo Church which is the earliest place of Christian worship. Other popular religious attractions include Santo Cristo de Longos, Kuang Kong, and Seng Guan Temple. The presiding shopping areas are Ongpin Street, offering traditional groceries and stores, Escolta Street boasting traditional fashion brands, Carvajal Street and its lines of vendors, Arranque Market, the capital of seafood and exotic goods, and the Divisoria Shopping Mall.
Predominant access to Binondo is by taxi routing from Manila. Public trains connect the Baclaran station to the nearby Carriedo station and a water ferry to Escolta station. Horse-drawn carriages are the most common form of transit around the city.
Binondo is heralded as the oldest Chinatown in the world with roots dating back to the 1500s. The area was originally designated as a residential destination for Chinese immigrants by Luis Pérez Dasmariñas.