TOURIST SPOTS IN CEBU
The 2nd post today is all about some tourist spots in Cebu. Why 'some'? Well, I'm afraid to say that I'm not sure if these are all the tourist spots in Cebu. Anyway, here I go.
1. MACTAN
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Credits to the owner and Google:Mactan; As shown in the picture is the statue of Mactan's hero, Lapu-Lapu. |
Mactan is a densely populated island located a few kilometres from Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu Province and it is divided into Lapu-Lapu City and the municipality of Cordova. The island is separated from Cebu by the Mactan Channel which is crossed by two bridges: the Marcelo Fernan Bridge and the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge.
My Opinion/Comment:
Mactan is a wonderful place. It even has a festival called Battle of Mactan. It is very jolly. It also includes street dance, play, etc. This festival is all about the event when Lapu-Lapu, the datu of Mactan, and Magellan, the Spanish conqueror, fought in the shores of Mactan. They fought because Lapu-Lapu refused to change their religion unlike the other datus and this made Magellan mad to the point that they fought. But to Magellan's disappointment and frustration, Lapu-Lapu emerged victorious and killed Magellan.
And to celebrate Mactan's hero, Lapu-Lapu, they decided to have this celebration and then it was passed from generation to generation until the present day.
2. SINULOG FESTIVAL
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Credits to the owner and Google:Sinulog Festival; As shown in the picture is the star dancer is in the front carrying the Sto. Niño statue/image with the other street dancers in the background. |
The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Maasin City, Southern Leyte, and Balingasag, Misamis Oriental in Philippines. The festival commemorates the Filipino people's pagan origin, and their acceptance of Roman Catholicism.
My Opinion/Comment:
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Credits to the owner and Google:Sinulog Festival; As shown in the picture is the star dancer is in the front carrying the Sto. Niño statue/image with the ither street dancers. |
Queen Juana/Hara Amihan, who was newly baptized to Roman Catholicism and the wife of King Carlos/Rajah Humabon, was just given an image of the Sto. Niño by Magellan as a gift. Extremely happy about the said gift, she started dancing around the village while carrying the image of the Sto. Niño. Seeing this, the villagers also followed her and started dancing. And that's how the Sinulog Festival started.
Every year, I go to this particular festival. And every year, I notice there are so many people participating in this festival which is very tiring and troublesome since I have to cram with the crowds of people, especially since I hate crowds...ヽ(≧Д≦)ノ But it's worth the trouble since I, together with my family and relatives, get to see the Lord and have fun after the mass.
3. Cebu Taoist Temple
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Credits to the owner and Google:Cebu Taoist Temple |
Built in 1972, the Cebu Taoist Temple is located in Beverly Hills Subdivision in Cebu City, Philippines. The temple was built by Cebu's substantial Chinese community. With an elevation of 300 meters above sea level, the temple is a towering, multi-tiered, multi-hued attraction accessible by three separate winding routes.
Unlike the neighboring Phu Sian Temple, the Taoist temple is open to the worshipers and non-worshipers alike. A ritual among devotees is where one prays to the gods to grant one's wish. The ritual includes washing of hands, going inside the chapel barefoot and dropping two blocks of wood. If the blocks of wood are both face up then one could make a wish. If not then it is not yet the time for one's wish to be granted and one has to come to the temple some other time.
My Opinion/Comment:
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Credits to the owner and Google:Cebu Taoist Temple |
To be honest, I first came to Taoist Temple when I was still in preschool (We were having a field trip at that time) so... I didn't really know that there was a ritual that could make wishes come true. If I knew, then I would basically wish... But since I was still a kid at that time, I'm sure my wishes would be nonsense and unimportant since I'm sure I'm just gonna wish about the typical wishes kids have; you know, toys, games, etc. ヽ(  ̄д ̄;)ノ
4. Basilica del Sto. Niño / Basilica of the Holy Child
Credits to the owner and Google: Basilica del Sto. Niño |
The Minor Basilica of the Holy Child (Spanish: Basílica Menor del Santo Niño; Italian: Basilica Minore del Santo Bambino) is a minor basilica in Cebu City in the Philippines that was founded in the 16th century. It is the oldest Roman Catholic church established in the country, purposedly built on the spot where the image of the Santo Niño de Cebú, a statue depicting the Holy Child Jesus was found in 1565 by Spanish explorers led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The image is the same statue given by Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of Rajah Humabon as a gift over forty years before after Humabon's baptism to Christianity on April 14, 1521. It was found by a soldier preserved in a burnt wooden box after Legazpi razed the village of hostile natives.
My Opinion/Comment:
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Credits to the owner and Google: Basilica del Sto. Niño, where the yearly mass for the Sinulog Festival is held. |
And this is all for today! Don't worry! This is not all! This is just the first part! Tomorrow, I'm going to post the 2nd part...
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P.S.
Credits to Wikipedia
Credits to the owner
Credits to Google