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Don't miss a visit to Intramuros , the old capital of Manila. It's the one part of the metropolis where you get any real sense of history. It was built in 1571 and remains a monumental, if ruined, relic of the Spanish period in Philippine history. It's a city within a city, separated from the rest of Manila by its crumbling walls. This ancient capital had well-planned streets, plazas, the Governor's Palace, fifteen churches and six monasteries. It also had dozens of cannon that could be used to keep the natives in their place. Many buildings were reduced to rubble in World War II, but Intramuros still lays claim to most of Manila's top tourist sights. Manila Cathedral , originally built in 1581, has been destroyed several times down the centuries by a combination of fire, typhoon, earthquake and war. It was last rebuilt between 1954 and 1958. San Agustin Church , with its magnificent baroque interiors and trompe l'oeil murals, dates back to 1599 and is the oldest stone church in the Philippines. It houses a museum of icons and artefacts along with an eighteenth-century Spanish pipe organ that was recently restored. Opposite San Agustin on General Luna Street is the splendid Casa Manila , a sympathetically restored colonial-era house (daily 10am-5pm; P50). Next door to Casa Manila is the Philippine Art, Craft and Cultural Center , with four floors of antiques, gifts and galleries. The ruins of Fort Santiago stand at the northernmost end of Intramuros, a five-minute walk from the cathedral. Fort Santiago used to be the seat of the colonial powers of both Spain and the US. It was also a dreaded prison under the Spanish regime and the scene of countless military-police atrocities during the Japanese occupation. In the Rizal Shrine Museum (daily 8am-10pm; P15) you can see the room where Jose Rizal spent his last hours before his execution on Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park).
open-closed date and timejay-ar espiritu says "to whom i may concern,i just want to ask if what day the bahay chinoy is close and what time it will open and closed,thanks a lot"
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