chinatown

Terengganu, Malaysia: Wandering Kuala Terengganu’s Chinatown (Kampung Cina)

Posted on June 9, 2015

At the historic heart of Kuala Terengganu – the state capital of Terengganu – is a thriving Perenakan or Chinese-Malay community centered on Kampung Cina or Chinatown. Kampung Cina literally means “Chinese Village.” Located at the mouth of the Terengganu River, Kuala Terengganu’s Chinatown is also known as Teng Lang Po in Hokkien or KT’s Chinatown. Although maritime trade between Terengganu and China has been recorded since the 10th century Song dynasty, a formal Chinese settlement only started forming inRead More→

DIY Walking Tour – Manila Chinatown

Posted on July 4, 2010

Location: Binondo, Manila Starting Point: Carriedo LRT End Point: Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz Distance: 2 km Duration: 2 to 3 hours Covering an area of only a few square kilometers, Manila Chinatown is jam-packed with history, cultural quirks, bustling commerce and, of course, gastronomic delights. Since the Sung Dynasty (A.D. 960-1279) centuries before the arrival of Spanish conquistadores, this riverside area has long been a trading post between native Filipinos and visiting Chinese. Officially established in 1594 when the SpaniardsRead More→

Chow Down in Chinatown

Posted on May 14, 2010

The following article is a commissioned feature I wrote for the February-March issue of SMILE, the in-flight magazine of Cebu Pacific Air. You may browse the magazine online at http://www.cebusmile.com PHOTOS BY EDGAR ALAN ZETA-YAP HEAD TO THE THRIVING AREA OF BINONDO IN MANILA FOR A TRULY SUMPTUOUS FEED DURING CHINESE NEW YEAR, AS EDGAR ALAN ZETA-YAP SUGGESTS LAN ZHOU LAMIEN What it isThis authentic noodle house continues to grow in popularity especially among Chinese immigrants due to its freshlyRead More→

Manila Chinatown: The World’s Oldest

Posted on February 8, 2009

It’s Chinese New Year. Ongpin Street–the main thoroughfare of Manila Chinatown– is a traffic jam of shoppers weighed downed by their bags of tikoy (rice cake), ube hopia (taro pastry), and ma chang (meat-filled sticky rice).  Despite their heavy load, they continue to jostle, crane their necks and chirpily browse the sidewalks of trinket hawkers bargaining jade amulets, bracelets, and good luck charms in Fookien-accented Tagalog. Goldsmiths, vegetable vendors and traditional medicine sellers soon chime in. Beneath all the hullabaloo, atRead More→

The Labyrinth Called Manila

Posted on October 19, 2008

This article was first published in the premiere issue of ROAM, a Manila-based magazine for alternative travel and outdoor enthusiasts.  While the mere thought of skipping leisurely through Old Manila’s thoroughfares might seem daunting or perhaps even frightening to the uninitiated, such an experience provides an invaluable insight into the history, culture and culinary landscape of one of the most vibrant capitals in the world. (Well, the 69th in Lonely Planet’s The Cities Book. Still not bad, out of 200).   The grind ofRead More→