By Bryle B. Suralta
Megaworld’s second museum endeavor takes the public back to the deep roots and heritage of the world’s supposedly oldest Chinatown and its “history of connections” with the new Chinatown Museum (located at the fourth level of Lucky Chinatown’s Building A in Binondo, Manila).
The museum houses 18 galleries and provides an interactive experience that focuses on telling the stories of Manila Chinatown’s storied past. Each gallery hosts the most significant events in Chinatown’s history, which have either shaped the sociocultural and socioeconomic threads of Binondo or was heavily influenced by it.
For a more immersive experience, the Chinatown Museum app is specifically designed for museum visitors. The application aims to provide easy access to each gallery’s information. It utilizes Bluetooth technology.
From the settlement for the “Christianized Chinese” to the memories of downtown Escolta all the way to the commercialization of colonial Manila, Chinatown Museum has it all. It was recognized as a cultural landmark by the National Historical Commission and National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The new space is envisioned to be a “community space” and “heritage project.”
With pieces dating back to the 16th century, the museum’s curator Janine Cabato also noted its “edutainment” value to the public, as well as how “Instagrammable” each gallery is. Among the galleries are the Botika de San Fernando, where people can enter a room dedicated to classic apothecary and can smell different herbs and spices, El 82, a recreation of Ramon Ongpin’s old hardware and arts shop, and others, such as the Origins of the Revolution and Turn of the Century.
“We conducted thorough research and consultations for this project, and we collaborated with members of the academe, respected historians and prominent figures in the community in order to provide an accurate and comprehensive representation of Binondo’s rich history,” Megaworld chief strategic officer and Alliance Global, Inc. CEO Kevin Tan says.
The Chinatown Museum is the second museum venture of the property giant following the opening of the Iloilo Museum for Contemporary Art. Part of the company’s tourism initiatives is to “integrate museum projects in its township developments across the country.” Currently, Megaworld is curating museums for its townships in Cebu, Pampanga and Pasig City, as well.
“It has always been our goal to integrate arts, culture, history and heritage in the overall character of our developments,” adds Kevin Tan. “With Lucky Chinatown being at the center of a community characterized by its rich history, we wanted to extend this passion for the arts and culture to the mall experience and eventually boost tourism in this part of Manila.”
Chinatown Museum is located at the fourth level of the recently opened Hotel Lucky Chinatown, which is located along Reina Regente Corner Dela Reina Street in Binondo, Manila, and is connected directly to the main mall of Lucky Chinatown via a bridgeway. It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday. Admission rates for regular visitors are priced at P150 per head, while those for senior citizens and students are at P100 per head. Children below four feet are free of charge.
