Hacienda de San Luis Eco-Tourism Park (Cauayan City, Isabela)

Hacienda de San Luis Eco-Tourism Park

Hacienda de San Luis Eco-Tourism Park, the first eco-tourism park in Cauayan City, gives a flashback of what Cauayan City was in 1740 as well as the city’s indigenous people’s (Gaddang, Ibanag, Itaois and Yogad) culture.

La Flor de Isabela Function Hall (forner tabacalera warehouse)

 

Function hall interior

The park is home to the Museo de San Luis, the Cagayan Valley Regional Science Centrum, the La Flor de Isabela Function Hall and the Gawa-Gawayan Museum.

 

Here is the historical timeline of the hacienda:

  • In 1887, a portion of Barrio Mabantad, of about 3,940 hectares, was acquired, for 22,000 pesos, by the Compaña Casal owned by Mr. Antonio Casal. Mr. Federico Corea was appointed as the first administrator of the hacienda. Mr. Corea, named the locality as San Luis, after Saint Louis BertrandO.P.(1526-1581; Luis Beltrán), a Spanish Dominican who preached in South America during the 16th century, and is known as the “Apostle of the Americas.” The population of the hacienda grew and the area was converted into a formal barrio of Cauayan.
  • In 1909, the compaña expanded the area of the hacienda with the purchase of 19 hectares from Mrs. Engracia Maragun de Lacaste.
  • In 1910, another 540 hectares were bought from the government (Friar Lands Estate).
  • In 1913, the first administration building stood in the Cabeceria Especial (the poblacion of San Luis) was razed to the ground by fire. In its place, a more spacious building was constructed. In time, when the compañaacquired enormous business footing, other big buildings were constructed.
  • In 1923, the Catholic Church was erected. A school building was also constructed to provide the farmers’ children their elementary education with Mr. Pio Tominez as the first teacher.
  • During the Japanese Occupation, the headquarters of the 1st Batallion, 7th Infantry of the 34th Division Guerilla Unit, Isabela Area, was established here. Houses in Cabeceria No. 3 were burned, in punitive actions, by the Japanese.
  • On October 9, 2015, Hacienda San Luis was inaugurated as the first eco-tourism park in Cauayan City. 

Museo de San Luis

The Museo de San Luis, open last October 9, 2022, showcases how tobaccos were made for the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade. The one-storey, former tabacalera (tobacco warehouse) is now the La Flor de Isabela Function Hall, an events place. 

Check out “Museo de San Luis

Gawa-Gawayan Museum

The one-storey Gawa-Gawayan Museum exhibits Gawa-Gawayan Festival memorabilia such as the Festival King Queen costumes, designed by Bonsai Cielo, of John Paul Domingo and Sue Francesca Galingana; headdresses; hats and the 4 x 8 ft. Bamboo de Cauayan, the Bambanti Festival 20019 grand champion  in the agricultural booth category.

Bamboo de Cauayan

2019 Bambanti Festival King and Queen Costumes

Also within the grounds is the two-storey Cagayan Valley Regional Science Centrum (CVRSC), which children will find enjoyable.  Inaugurated last January 28, 2020,

Cagayan Valley Regional Science Centrum

It aims to promote awareness and appreciation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).  It houses four interactive science exhibits – Science Adventure, Science at Work, Science Sparks and Health Science.  Its exhibits include an Anti-Gravity Mirror and a Van de Graff Static Ball.

Zipline Towe

The park also has a picnic area, a rappelling and climbing wall plus a 250 m. long and 9.15 m. (30 ft.) high zipline where you can get a majestic view of Cagayan River.  Other activities offered here are biking and horseback riding.

Horseriding Stables

Hacienda de San Luis Eco-Tourism Park:  Brgy. San Luis, Cauayan City.  Tel: (078) 652-2017.  Mobile numbers: (0905) 390-1255 and (0926) 204-4429.  Open daily, 7 AM – 8 PM.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com. 

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com. 

How to Get There: Cauayan City is located 394.8 kms. (a 7.5-hour drive) from Manila and 35.5 kms. (a 45-min. drive) from the City of Ilagan.

Sinheungsa Temple (Sokcho City, South Korea)

Main courtyard of Sinheungsa Temple

Part of Cebu Blue Ocean Academy-sponsored South Korea tour

One of the highlights of our visit to the very scenic to the often very busy Seoraksan National Park, Korea’s most beautiful national park, is our tour of Sinheungsa (sometimes spelled Shinheungsa), the District Headquarters Temple of the Third District of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, supervising all the temples located in the northeastern Gangwon Province Area.

Situated on the slopes of Seoraksan in SokchoGangwon Province, it is translated in English as “Spirit Arising Temple,” “Divine Inspiration Temple” or “Burgeoning Temple” (referring to the budding of a lotus flower, the symbol of enlightenment).

Seoraksan National Park

One of two Buddhist temples within the bounds of the national park (the other is Baekdamsa), it is the main temple of the area known as Outer Sorak-san Mountain.  It is remarkable for its constant changing over the centuries (it not only changed its position and name, but also the school of Buddhism to which it adhered). The temple stores numerous works of Buddhist art such as paintings, sculptures and tapestries.

Check out “Seoraksan National Park

Many tourists hiking Seoraksan pass by this ancient Korean Zen (Seon) temple (believed to be the oldest in the world) on their way up to Ulsanbawi (peak), reached by following the wall outside Sinheungsa.  They also come to this ancient temple, with its deep historical significance, because of its beautiful scenery.  Other temples with the name Sinheungsa are located in SeoulSamcheok and Icheon.

Kensington Star Hotel, the original site of Hyangheonsa

Historical accounts vary as to whether this temple was first constructed (at the site of Kensington Star Hotel) by the famed Buddhist monk Jajang-yulsa (590-658 A.D.) in 653 A.D. (the sixth year of the reign of Queen Jindeok of the Silla dynasty), first called Hyangseongsa (Temple of Zen Buddhism), or in 637 A.D. following his return from studying in Tang China.

In 698 A.D., the seventh year of King Hyoso’s (687-702 A.D.) reign, it was destroyed by fire. Three years later, in 701 A.D., Sinheungsa Temple was rebuilt by Great Master Uisang-daesa (625-702 A.D.), another famous monk and founder of a religious sect, on the site of Neunginam Hermitage (the present location of Naewonam Hermitage). He also renamed the temple, this time to Seonjeongsa Temple.

Bojero – a pavilion built in 1770

For 1,000 years, the temple blossomed in reputation but, in 1642, the temple burned down again and it was rebuilt in 1648 during the 20th year of the reign of King Injo of the Joseon dynasty. Many of the buildings built during that time are still standing, like the sanctuary, Geukrakbo-jeon Hall, Myeongbu-jeon Hall, Boje-ru Pavilion, Samseong-gak Hall, etc.

According to a legend, after most of the monks at the temple left after the 1642 fire, the Three Venerable monks Yeongseo, Hyewon, and Yeon-ok all vowed that they would rebuild the temple one day, passionately praying the gido (ritual supplication prayer every day.  One day, they had the same dream in which an old silver-haired heavenly deity called Sanshin (Mountain Spirit) appeared and told them to change the location of the temple to the bottom of the gorge to prevent three big misfortunes.

Pointing to the ground where the temple is currently situated, he said, “If you build a temple here, there will be no damage from the three major disasters of fire, floods or storms.”  Afterwards, this deity disappeared.  Thus, the temple was re-constructed at the current location and renamed as “Sinheungsa,” meaning “the temple was blessed by God (sin) and became prosper (heung).”

During the 195-1953 Korean War, the temple was badly damaged.  In 1995, the Chinese character sin of the temple’s name was changed from sin (meaning “god”) to sin (meaning “new”), in their wish that the temple will revive Buddhism again in the Yeongdong area (eastern part of the Taebaek Mountain Range).

The author at Iljumun Gate

The first structure that greeted Frank, James, Kim and I at the temple is the top heavy Iljumun Gate (or “One Pillar Gate”). After passing through this entry gate, we noticed the sharp, jagged rocks of the 1,708 m. high Mt. Seoraksan (the third highest in the country) surrounding us on all sides.  After passing Iljumun , we soon came across the 14.6-m. (48-ft.) high, 108 ton Great Unification Buddha, a gilt-bronze Buddha statue called “Tongil Daebul” on the right.

Tongil Daebul (Great Unification Buddha)

The largest seated Buddha statue in the world, it is dedicated to Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha).  It sits atop a 4.3-m. (15-ft.) high lotus pedestal, of the same material, making the total height of 18.9 m. (62 ft.), excluding the lightning rod and the beautiful nimbus which surrounds Seokgamoni-bul’s head. It is flanked with 16 delicately engraved panels that tell the entire path of Buddha’s enlightenment through the words of Bodhisattva, messengers of Buddha’s teaching.

The 4.3 m. (15-ft.) high lotus pedestal flanked with 16 delicately engraved panels that tell the entire path of Buddha’s enlightenment through the words of Bodhisattva, messengers of Buddha’s teaching

This statue, serenely looking out on the amazing landscape of northern South Korea, cost 3.8 billion won (US$4.1 million) to erect, raised through the small contributions of over 300,000 anonymous donors visiting the temple over a decade in duration.  The construction started in 1987 and it was only finished in 1997 when the eyes were placed on the face. The statue, less than 50 kms. (30 mi.) from the impenetrable border between North Korea and South Korea, represents the crucial wish of the Korean people for the reunification of the divided country.

The beautiful nimbus surrounding the head of the Buddha.  Also shown is the center forehead adornment, half closed eyes and slight smile

The massive bronze statue is also positioned in the “Touching the Earth Mudra” (or the “Earth Witness Mudra”) which was the pose the Buddha had when he attained enlightenment. Tongil Daebul sits with legs crossed and half-closed eyes in meditation, his lips displaying a perceptible smile. His forehead is adorned with eight 8-cm. (3-in.) stones of amber, with a single piece of jade in the center that is 10 cms. (4 in.) in diameter. The Buddha’s robust torso is draped by a flowing robe with gentle folds, revealing the right shoulder.  The hands of Tongil Daebul are positioned in the mudra, symbolizing the “enlightened one.”

Contained within the hollow statue are three pieces of the Buddha’s sari, crystallized remains collected after his cremation, donated by the Myanmar government, and the Tripitaka, the original Buddhist scriptures.  The three sari are backed by three incarnations of Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion). The statue is fronted by beautiful bronze incense burners and lanterns. A great number of people come here to pray for their wishes.

A beautiful bronze lantern

In front of the Tongildae-bul are three pathways. The left pathway goes to Biseondae, a summer house where, according to legend, the fairy Ma-go rose to heaven. The middle pathway goes to Ulsanbawi, a natural big stone ball, and passes Naewon-am and Gyejo-am. It is also the way to the green bridge Sesim-gyo. The right pathway goes to the white bridge Sesim-gyo.

The closed spandrel arch Hyeonsu-gyo Bridge

We finally had your fill of this amazing statue (which took us some time) and we made our way up a path, for two to three hundred meters, then crossed a ravine beyond the statue via a newly built, closed spandrel arch bridge to the right called Hyeonsu-gyo.  After crossing the Hyeonsu-gyo Bridge, the long stone wall of the main temple grounds awaited us.

The long stone wall of the main temple ground

We entered the temple through the rather boxy Cheonwangmun (or Sacheonwangmun) Gate which mark’s the entrance of the temple’s boundaries.  It houses some excellent examples of the Four Heavenly Kings.

The boxy Cheonwangmun (or Sacheonwangnum) Gate

These four Cheonwang (king) statues, believed to be Buddha’s protectors and evil-fighters, are placed on either side – Jiguk Cheonwang (“King of the East”) with a sword, Damun Cheonwang (“King of the North”) with a lute, Gwangmok Cheonwang (“King of the West”) with a tower, and Jeungjang Cheonwang (“King of the South”) with a dragon.

L-R: Damun Cheonwang (“King of the North”) with a lute, and Jiguk Cheonwang (“King of the East”) with a sword

In contrast with the big, generous smile of Tongil Daebul, the intimidating expressions of these four Cheonwang (king) statues welcome all those that dare enter the temple grounds.

L-R: Jeungjang Cheonwang (“King of the South”) with a dragon, and Gwangmok Cheonwang (“King of the West”) with a tower

To enter the main temple courtyard, we had to pass through the low-lying Boje-ru Pavilion, along a wooden building on stilts that acts as a screen that hides the rest of the inner portion of the temple grounds at Sinheungsa Temple.

Boje-ru Pavilion, a wooden building on stilts

We had to watch our heads so that we don’t smack it up against the ceiling as we passed under it.

Entering the main courtyard from Boe-ru Pavilion

Straight ahead is the Geukrakbo-jeon (“Precious Building”) Hall (also called Kukrobojeon), the Provincial Tangible Cultural Property #14 which acts as the temple’s main hall. Its exterior walls are adorned with a colorful set of Shimu-do, Ox-Herding Murals that describes the practicing process in a mountain.  The stairs leading up to the hall are decorated with some ancient Gwimyeon reliefs.

Geukrakbo-jeon (Precious Building) Hall

The central chapel of Geukrakbo-jeon, located beside Samseong-gak, is Gangwon Province Tangible Cultural Property 14. It has an octagonal roof, three front rooms, two side rooms and also has a special structural pattern and a great variety of design. The canopy over the statue is the octagonal Bogung type of inner structure carved with a dragon. The flower figure window is very interesting.

The interior is elaborately decorated with a triad of statues (Korean Treasure #1721) centered by Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise) on the main altar. This statue is joined on on the left side by Gwaneum-bosal (Avalokitesvara, the Merciful Goddess” or the “Power for Amita-bul”) and Daesaeji-bosal (Mahasthamaprapta, the “Wise Goddess” or “The Bodhisattva of Wisdom”) on the right side.

Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise), on the main altar, flanked by Gwaneum-bosal (Avalokitesvara, the Merciful Goddess” or the “Power for Amita-bul”) on the left, and Daesaeji-bosal (Mahasthamaprapta, the “Wise Goddess” or “The Bodhisattva of Wisdom”) on the right.

This triad, created by monk Muyeom (along with the monk Hyeonjin, they were the leading monk sculptors of the mid-17th century), dates back to 1651. The proportionate sizes of the three statues, seemingly simple, yet refined in appearance, speaks to the harmony of these Buddhist statues.

A pair of halls are located to the left rear of the Geukrakbo-jeon Hall. The first, Myeongbu-jeon (Judgment Hall), houses, under a beautiful red canopy, a statue of Jijang-bosal (the Bodhisattva of the Afterlife).  One of the most popular Bodhisattva shrine hall at a Korean temple, it’s meant to symbolize a “dark court” or “underworld.”  It is one of the more unique looking buildings in a temple because of its gruesome depictions of the afterlife, the uplifting paintings of salvation, the ominous judges and the serenely redemptive Jijang-bosal.

Myeongbu-jeon Hall

The triad (Korean Treasure #1749) on the main altar of the Myeongbu-jeon Hall, which is centered by Jijang-bosal was, like the triad inside the Geukrakbo-jeon Hall, also made by the monk Muyeom in 1651. Interestingly, various artists also participated in the production in separate procedures of the statues, including the molding, gilding and coloring of the three statues.

Samseong-gak Hall

To the rear of Myeongbu-jeon Hall is the Samseong-gak (“Three Saints”) Hall (also called Chilseong-gak), a shamanic shrine hall. It houses interesting, masterfully executed and vibrantly painted murals including images of of three Korean shaman deities – Chilseong (The Seven Stars), Dokseong (“The Lonely Saint”) and Sanshin (“The Mountain Spirit”), the modern Sanshin Taenghwa.  Its budo-won (stupa garden), containing 2 monuments, isdesignated as Provincial Tangible Cultural Property #115.

Murals of the three shaman deities

The temple also participates in the popular Temple Stay program which allows tourists looking to experience Zen meditation and asceticism to spend, for a fee, two or three days living the typical temple life of a Korean Buddhist monk, doing activities such as baru gongyang (communal Buddhist meal service), ceremonial service involving chanting, 108 bows aimed at removing 108 earthly desires, as well as programs of making a lotus lantern and Buddhist rosary.  The experience includes interpretations in Chinese, Japanese and English.  Visitors who donate money to the temple are given a new roof tile to write his wish on.

Rows of roof tiles with wishes written on it

Between Jeokmukdang and Beomjongru is an amusing figure of a turtle shooting water from its mouth. The sweet mineral water from this fountain is said to remove fatigue and provide freshness for those who drink from it.

The fountain

On the opposite side of the Kensington Star Hotel, at Hyangseongsa Temple Site, is a 3-story pagoda (National Treasure 443), an important cultural property and the northernmost extant Shilla Kingdom stone pagoda which demonstrates the traditional style of the Shilla period. Originally a nine-storey stone tower made of granite, only three storeys remain. When it was repaired, workers found a silver case for enshrining the sarira (bone fragments of Buddha, but it was empty.

The 3-storey Stone Pagoda at Hyangseongsa Temple Site

Sinheungsa: 1137 Seoraksan-ro, Sokcho-si, Gangwon ProvinceSouth Korea.  Open 24 hours.  Tel: +82 33-636-8001 and 033-636-7393.  Website: www.sinheungsa.krwww.sokchotour.com. Admission to Seoraksan National Park, where Sinheungsa Temple is located, is 2,500 won. Sinheungsa Temple itself is free.

How to Get There:

By Car: from Seoul, take National Road No. 6 and then National Road No. 44 in Yangpyoung. After passing Hongcheon, Inje and Hankyeryoung Service Area, join National Road No. 7 in Yangyang. Drive for 11.4 kms. to Naksan and soon you will reach Mulchi 3-way junction. Go left, following the sign to Seolakdong. Drive another 10.9 kms. and you will arrive in the parking lot at the entrance of Mt. Seolak.

From Inje, you can also take National Road No. 46 toward Misiryoung, not toward  Hankyeryoung Service Area. If you drive on the road for about 16.2 kms., you will reach the Yongdae 3-way junction. Make a right turn onto Lcal Road No. 466 and go another 13.6 kms. to Misiryoung. There is a 3-way junction with a sign for “Dae-myoung Seolak Leisure Town.“ From there, drive for 4.6 kms. toward Sokcho and you will get to ”Seokcho Plaza Resotel.”  Turn right and you will see “Cheoksan Hotspring” and, a little farther up, the hotel complex of Seolakdong and the parking lot at the entrance of Mt. Seolak.

By Public Transport:  From Seoul Express Bus Terminal (Express Bus Terminal St, Subway line No. 3 or 7, Orange or Dark green line), take the Express bus (available many times a day) to Sokcho or to the Sogongwon (small park) of Mt. Seolak. Local bus No. 7, from downtown Sokcho to Seolakdong, runs every 10 min. and it takes about half an hour. From Sokcho, you’ll need to take a bus (which leaves every ten minutes) bound for Seoraksan National Park. The bus ride takes around 20 to 25 minutes and the bus drops you off at Sogongwon, the entrance of the park.  From here, you’ll need to walk about ten minutes to get to Sinheungsa Temple.

Cebu Blue Ocean Academy: Building 5, EGI Hotel and Resort, M.L. Quezon National Highway, Looc, Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu 6015, Philippines.  Tel: (032) 888-9868.  E-mail: pinesbaguio@gmail.com.  Website: www.cebublueocean.com.  Baguio City (Benguet) Sister School: Pines International Academy, Romel Mansion, 3 Ignacio Villamor St., Brgy. Lualhati, Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines. Tel: 1 754-255-9818. E-mail: pinesbaguio@gmail.com. Website: www.pinesacademy.com.

Club Filipino (San Juan City, Metro Manila)

Club Filipino

Club Filipino (pronounced as “Cloob”), the first exclusive social club in the Philippines, was founded as an elite Filipino country gentlemen’s organization on November 6, 1898 by Filipino high society, including Spanish mestizos and members of the illiustrados (prestigious or rich Filipinos) as well as influential politicians.

The current building, with its Spanish-era style of architecture, was designed by the late architect Gabriel Formoso

Some of its members were Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo (he served as its honorary president) and Gen. Antonio Luna. Originally called Club Filipino Independiente, its name was later changed, four years later, to Club Internationale (after the turnover of power to the Americans) and, finally, Club Filipino in 1905.

the club lobby

This storied exclusive, members only club and recreational facility was originally located at the house (along Manga Ave cor. Buenos Aires St., in Santa Mesa, Manila) of RussianAmerican Jew Emil Bachrach, a successful businessman in Manila during the Philippine Commonwealth. Upon his assignment in the Philippines during World War II, Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita commandeered the house.  Later on, it was taken up as residence by Gen. Douglas MacArthur and his family.

The National Historical Institute plaque installed in 1997

On September 21, 1956, after arriving directly from a very rough flight from Davao City, President Ramon Magsaysay (who himself joined the exclusive club the very same day) inaugurated it at the Bachrach Mansion. On October 18, 1970, the club was inaugurated on its current building, designed by Arch. Gabriel Formoso, between North Greenhills subdivision and the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan.

The National Historical Institute plaque installed in 1988

Throughout its history, the club developed a reputation as a meeting ground for Filipino political progressives.  On November 27, 1907, the club hosted a Velada Artistica to honor the 59 winning candidates of the First Philippine Assembly who were members of the Nacionalista Party. A National Historical Institute (NHI, now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) plaque, installed in 1996, commemorates that event.  It was the site of several political events immediately prior and during the country’s Post-Martial Law Era.

Painting depicting events during the People Power Revolution. Flanking it are the two NHI plaques

On February 25 1986, at the height of the People Power Revolution, it served as the venue for the inauguration of President Corazon Aquino (her oath of office was administer by Supreme Court Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee), with her mother-in-law Aurora Aquino in attendance, together with Vice-Pres. Salvador Laurel (his oath of office was administered by Supreme Court Associate Justice Vicente Abad Santos).

The Cory C. Aquino Kalayaan Hall

The “Corazon C. Aquino Kalayaan Hall,” the site of her inauguration, was renamed as such on August 25, 2009.  It is now an indoor events/reception room.  Outside the hall is a huge painting depicting scenes (including the inauguration) from the People Power Revolution flanked by the 1996 NHI plaque and another NHI plaque, installed in 1988, commemorating the inauguration.

The Cory C. Aquino Kalayaan Hall, now an events place

On October 9, 2000, at a press conference held here, embattled Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson went public with an alleged illegal gambling (jueteng) payroll scam involving then-President Joseph Ejercito Estrada.

Terrace overlooking the swimming pool

On September 9, 2009, then-Senator Benigno Aquino III (Corazon Aquino’s son) announced his bid at the club to run as the presidential candidate for the Liberal Party in the 2010 general election. Six years later, on July 31, 2015, then-President Aquino III formally endorsed Mar Roxas as the LP’s presidential candidate for the 2016 elections in the “Gathering of Friends” held at the venue itself.

Terrace Cafe

Presently, the club’s amenities include the 1898 Dining Room; an outdoor restaurant; coffee shop (Terrace Café); board room; a swimming pool (adult and children); jacuzzi; tennis, badminton, volleyball and squash courts; bowling alleys; table tennis; gym; men’s and ladies’ locker rooms; pro shop; library; gift shop; bar; beauty salon; and children’s pavilion.

1898 Dining Room

Club Filipino: Club Filipino Ave. cor. Eisenhower St., GreenhillsSan Juan 1502, Metro Manila.  Tel:  (632) 8722-2001, 8722-2022 and 8726-9389. E-mail: clubfilipino@yahoo.com.

The Colorful History of Taal Vista Hotel (Tagaytay City, Cavite)

The present Taal Vista Hotel

A lot of my childhood memories included family visits to Tagaytay  City, the country’s other summer capital (after Baguio City), where we enjoyed the cool and crisp (average temperature is 22.7º Celsius) mountain air and a picture-pretty view of Taal Volcano from its original grand garden view deck – the English Tudor Mansion-style Taal Vista Hotel.

View from Taal Vista Lodge’s Dining Room of Taal Volcano and Lake

View of Taal Lake and Volcano Today. Beyond is the 947-m. (3,17-ft. high Mt. Makulot (or Mt. Macolod), Batangas’ highest mountain

In fact, it was the public viewing ground to major as well as mild to moderate eruptions  of the volcano on September 28, 1965 , from 1966 to 1970 (lasting from three to 65 days), 1976 (September 3 to October23), 1977 (October 3 to 4 and November 9 to 12), 1991, January 12, 2020 and July 1, 2021.

Taal Vista Lodge and its Garden Terrace overlooking Taal Lake and Volcano

Previously known as Taal Vista Lodge, it is the second oldest hotel in the country after the Manila Hotel (built in 1909). The hotel has its beginnings way back in 1935 when the Zamoras of Manila Hotel bought six hectares of flatland perched atop an incline along Ilong Kastila (people say it resembles a nose or ilong) from American teacher Hammon H. Buck, the Superintendent of Schools in Batangas, who lived in the Philippines from 1898 until his death in 1945.

Hammon H. Buck with his wife Dolores Angeles and their six children

Newly elected Philippine Commonwealth President  Manuel L. Quezon, who initiated the development of Tagaytay as a tourism destination (so much so that, on June 21, 1938, he converted Tagaytay into a chartered city by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 338), instructed the government-owned and controlled Manila Railroad Company to build a lodge and golf course on Tagaytay Ridge.

Commonwealth Pres. Manuel L. Quezon

Under the supervision of the Manila Hotel Company (a subsidiary of the Manila Railroad Company), the lodge was built, its architect probably Andres Luna de San Pedro (son of renowned painter Juan Luna) who, just a few years earlier, renovated Manila Hotel to accommodate a suite for Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

Architect Andres Luna de San Pedro

Its contractor was probably the well-known engineering firm Pedro Soichi who built the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila and the Manila Metropolitan Theater in 1931. Both were favored by Quezon.  Upon the lodge’s opening on October 7, 1939, Quezon frequently held cabinet meetings in its premises.

The spacious Dining Room with a dance floor in the center

Typical bedroom of Taal Vista Lodge with porch ssed as a sitting room

A few years after it opened to the public, World War II broke out and the lodge became a vacation place for American servicemen.

From 1942 to 1945, when the Japanese occupied the country, Taal Vista Lodge was converted as officers’ quarters for the Japanese. After the war, the Philippine government took back control of the lodge.

On December 9, 1954, Alfredo Montelibano (Administrator of the Office of the Economic Coordinator) approved the rehabilitation and development plan for Taal Vista Lodge.

Taal Vista Lodge during the Post-War Period

The renovation included new cottages, cabanas, tea room and bar, three huge dining rooms (Lakeview Terrace, Alta Vista Pavilion and the Veranda), a children’s playground and sports facilities for horseback riding, basketball, volleyball, bowling, tennis and badminton.

Taal Vista Lodge

Between 1956 and 1964, Tagaytay  City began to be promoted as a major tourist attraction of the Philippines and Taal Vista Lodge was one of its leading attractions.

Pres. Elpidio Quirino

Among the prominent officials and personalities who stayed here include Pres. Elpidio Quirino (who also held cabinet meetings in the lodge); noted American newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, and Senate president Eulogio Rodriguez and his wife.

Japanese Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko

On November 6, 1962, Crown Prince Akihito and his wife Princess Michiko of Japan attended a luncheon at the Lodge given in their honor by Vice-Pres. Emmanuel Pelaez.

Six First Ladies visit Taal Vista Lodge

On October 24, 1966, First Lady Imelda R. Marcos hosted a visit to the Lodge of five First Ladies of heads of state and government attending the Manila Summit Conference – Nguyễn Thị Mai Anh (wife of the President Nguyen Van Thieu of South Vietnam). Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson (wife of US Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson), Đặng Tuyết Mai (wife of Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky of South Vietnam), Zara Kate B. Holt (wife of Prime Minister Harold Holt of Australia) and Jongkol Kittikachorn (wife of Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorn of Thailand).

Taal Volcano’s 1965 eruption

After the 1965 Taal volcano eruption, Taal Vista Lodge suffered heavy losses due to the decreased number of guests. In 1968, the Office of the Economic Coordinator (OEC) decided to privatize Taal Vista Lodge which was put on the block through public bidding on June 18, 1968.

The Resorts and Hotel Corporation won the bid (the other bidders were Philippine Airlines and the Sulo Hotel Group).  The company refurbished the lodge, constructing new facilities including an annex dining room.

Taal Vista Lodge Dining Room

In 1973, Taal Vista Lodge, now a three-star hotel, boasted a large pavilion for dinner and dancing, a bowling alley, a golf course, a billiards hall and a horseback riding area beside the lodge.

On January 11, 1984, the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) took ownership of the Lodge and changed its name to Taal Vista Hotel. From 1984 to 1988, Hotel Development Corporation, its subsidiary, managed operations of the hotel.

Henry Sy, Sr.

In July 1988, DBP decided to sell Taal Vista Hotel through an unsolicited proposal from SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) headed by its chairman Henry Sy, Sr. who, when he was a young man, was one of the many regular visitors of the hotel, often choosing one spot on the grounds from which to gaze out and dream.

A 1954 photo taken by Ms. Felicidad Sy of husband Henry Sy sitting at the Garden Terrace of Taal Vista Lodge

From 1991 to November 5, 1999, SMIC added a new wing (Mountain Wing) which included a swimming pool where the rotunda is now located.  At that time, the hotel operated 83 guest rooms. On November 6, 1999, SMIC decided to close down the hotel for further renovation and construction of new facilities.

Taal Vista Hotel, 2004

In 2002, Sy had the hotel rebuilt, adding 2 new extensions on the east side of the complex to provide 128 rooms, conference facilities and amenities.  The central building (where the Lobby Lounge is now currently located) was reconstructed in the original English Tudor Mansion style.

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The English Tudor Mansion style features a steeply pitched roof with an overlapping, front-facing gable; a facade accented with half-timber framing (widely spaced wooden boards with stucco or stone in between) and a prominently placed chimney.

Panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows at the Lobby Lounge allow views of Taal Lake and Volcano

Panoramic floor-to-ceiling glass windows were installed, allowing diners to watch, aside from Taal Volcano and Taal Lake, the 947-m. high Mt. Makulot (or Mt. Macolod), the fog rolling in, the captivating sunset and, at nighttime, the stars or the pinpoint lights of fishing boats and the lakeshore towns.

The Mountain Wing

After its reconstruction and expansion, this reinvigorated and now first-class hotel reopened its doors on March 27, 2003.  In 2004, further expansion of the hotel was made.  The Mountain Wing was extended (bringing the total to 128 rooms) and the swimming pool was moved to its present location.

Ms. Elizabeth Sy

Beginning 2009, SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (MHCC), established on April 2, 2008, with Elizabeth Sy (Henry Sy’s daughter) as president, took over management of the hotel (the corporation remains to be its owner up to the present).

The Lake Wing

Thereafter, the construction of new hotel wing (Lake Wing) and renovation of the main lobby was started.  In 2012, the Lake Wing, with its new ballroom and additional 133 guest rooms (bringing the total number of rooms to 264), was inaugurated,

Organic Herb and Vegetable Garden

That same year, Taal Vista Hotel started the Organic Herb and Vegetable Garden which supplied the needs of its various food and beverage outlets (they have four – Veranda, Lobby Lounge, Taza Fresh Table and Alta Ridge Bar).

The 75th anniversary of Taal Vista Hotel

In 2014, as part of its 75th anniversary celebration, the old Magnolia Pavilion was reconstructed as Taza Fresh Table, a new restaurant which was opened on January 28, 2015.

Taza Fresh Table

The hotel has hosted many important international gatherings such as:

  • July 1 -3, 2009 – 44th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Committee on Culture and Information (COCI)
  • March 3 to 6, 2015 – several ministerial meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit
  • September 11 to 14, 2017 – 23rd Senior Officials Meeting for ASCC (ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community) and 18th ASCC Council Meeting during 31st ASEAN Summit

The January 12, 2020 eruption of Taal Volcano

On January 12, 2020, after a hiatus of 43 years, Taal Volcano erupted and, on March 1, 2020, two months after the eruption, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the hotel to close its door to the public.

Taal Vista Lodge during the COVID-19 Pandemic

A few weeks later, the hotel reopened as a quarantine hotel for returning overseas  Filipino contract workers.  On September 4, 2020, the hotel reopened its food and beverage outlets to the general public and, a few days later, its guest rooms,  welcoming guests back under stringent health and safety protocols. 

AUTHOR’S COMMENTS:

I am wondering, with all the history attached to Taal Vista Hotel, why the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) hasn’t installed a historical plaque at the hotel’s facade.  The hotel has the distinction of being the second oldest in the country (after the Manila Hotel) and cabinet meetings of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon and Elpidio Quirino were held there in the past as well as meetings of APEC and ASEAN.

Taal Vista Hotel: Kilometer 60, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay  City 4120, Cavite.  Tel: (632) 7917 8225.  Mobile number: (0917) 89-1254.  E-mail: reservations@taalvistahotel.com. Website: www.taalvistahotel.com.

Casa Real (Lingayen, Pangasinan)

Casa Real (Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum) of Lingayen

The historic Casa Real (Royal House), located beside the town hall in the heart of Lingayen, Pangasinan, served as the provincial seat of government (where the Alcalde Mayor held office as the Provincial Governor and the Judge of the Court of First Instance) and is one of the oldest public buildings in Pangasinan.

The portico facade

Built in the 1840s, it once served as the seat of the provincial government, from the Spanish Colonial era up to 1918 when the seat of the provincial government was eventually transferred to what is now the Pangasinan Provincial Capitol Building.

2019 National Historical Commission Plaque

On February 16, 1901, after the Taft Commission organized Pangasinan as a civil province,  Judge William Howard Taft and his commissioners went to Lingayen, Pangasinan and were given a grand reception at Casa Real.  In 1919, the building was used as a school and later as offices of the Judge of the Court of First Instance.

In 2002, it was declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), noted it as “an outstanding and unique example of civil architecture from the Spanish and American colonial periods.”

Casa Real survived the damages brought by World War II. However, the May 2008 Tropical Storm Cosme (international name: Halong) damaged the building, blowing away its heavy roof.

Later, the provincial government of Pangasinan  allotted funds for its renovation and the building was converted into the Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum which was formally inaugurated on September 8, 2023.

Check out “Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum

 

AUTHOR’S COMMENTS

The two-storey, 1,480 square meter building has a portico façade, with square Doric columns that support a balcony, and topped by a triangular pediment with an oval keystone window (with spider web grilles) at the center.  Dentils frame the sides of the pediment. The lower storey has circular arched main entrance flanked by large rectangular windows with segmental arches.  Wooden French doors open out to the balcony.

The granite stairway leading to the second floor

The stairway leading to the second floor still retains its original piedra china, granite stones used as ballast for galleons and Chinese junks.  However, the original balusters are gone as they did not survive looting after Typhoon Cosme.  What you see are replacements. The original tin ceiling from Belgium has been replaced with fiberglass reproductions.

Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum: Poblacion, Lingayen, Pangasinan.  Coordinates: 16.019805°N 120.230341°E.

Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum (Lingayen)

Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum

The two-storey, 1,480 sq. m. Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum, rightfully housed in the historic Casa Real (built in the 1840s) beside the town hall in the heart of Lingayen, the capital town of the province, is a collaborative effort between the Provincial Government of Pangasinan and various cultural institutions, with the primary goal of preserving and promoting the province’s cultural legacy.

Check out “Casa Real (Lingayen)

Formal opening of the museum on September 8, 2023

Formally inaugurated on September 8, 2023, the name Banaan is derived from the Pangasinense word meaning “meeting place” or “convergence.”  It serves as a storehouse of diverse collection of Pangasinan’s history, heritage, ethnographic as well as contemporary art.

Ancient pottery

Among the collections to be presented in the museum include an assortment of artifacts from Pre-Colonial times such as ancient pottery, tools and ceremonial objects; traditional clothing and accessories, some crafts that will showcase the peculiar identity and customs of local villages; and also some contemporary masterpieces of modern Pangasinan artists.

A bull-drawn cart

The museum features eleven (11) galleries (three in the ground floor) that showcase the story of Pangasinan as a convergence point for culture, history, arts, education and innovation.  Knowledgeable guides lead us through the museum’s collections, providing insights into the region’s history and culture.

“Where the Asin and Bolo Embrace” Gallery at the museum lobby

Our hour-long guided tour of the museum began at the “Where the Asin and Bolo Embrace” Gallery at the Casa Real lobby where Pangasinan’s two major landscapes are featured -a salt farm in Dasol and verdant rice fields with bolo bamboo in the central part.

“Shape of Our Homeland” Gallery

From there, we were led to the “Shape of Our Homeland” Gallery, an orientation room where there are chairs and a huge screen for video showing. It also has maps of the province’s congressional districts and a chart showing the founding dates of the Pangasinan towns and cities.

Contemporary art at the Asin Gallery

The Asin Gallery, the third gallery at the ground floor dedicated for changing exhibits, is an opportune platform to feature local artists and artisans, as well as notable personalities and their contributions in Pangasinan.

Dancing Rings (Joe Datuin, 2008, stainless steel)

Depending on the theme and season, it will feature different art, culture, and history. During our visit, the Kaluyagan (meaning “province mates”) Art Exhibit, featuring works (some of it for sale) by 33 Pangasinense artists, based here and abroad, was ongoing.

“Watered by the Hands of Ama-Gaolay” Gallery

Going up the granite staircase to the second floor, we entered the “Watered by the Hands of Ama-Gaolay” Gallery, the Natural Heritage Room where paintings of Pangasinan’s flora and fauna are displayed.

. The province’s river systems

The province’s river systems are also highlighted.  The Natural History Exhibit, a section dedicated to the region’s biodiversity, features preserved specimens (civet cat, giant clam, etc.), informative displays, and interactive learning stations.

Princess Urduja (Margaret Estelle Blas

The Descendants of Apolaqui Gallery feature myths and legends, such as the Legend of the Hundred Islands plus an painting of Princess Urduja by Margaret Estelle Blas.

World War II artifacts and photo of a war-damaged Provincial Capitol Building

The “Beachhead of Valor” Gallery displays World War II artifacts (helmet, canteen, military patches, etc.), a reproduction of the war-damaged façade of the Provincial Capitol Building and a model of a Japanese Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” fighter hanging on the ceiling. Mounted on the wall is an old photo of the damaged Provincial Capitol Building and wartime newspaper clippings.

Model of a Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighter hanging under the ceiling

The “Festivals by the Sea and the Fields” Gallery features traditional life and the festivals held by the towns in Pangasinan.

“Pilgrims Who Responded to the Call” Gallery

The “Pilgrims Who Responded to the Call” Gallery delves on the Pangasinense’s religiosity, Our Lady of Manaoag and the religious movement in the 20th century. Here, churches and faith healers are highlighted.

“Patriots and Nation Builders” Gallery

The “Patriots and Nation Builders” Gallery delves on the history and development of the province and the provincial contributions to the national identity of the country.

Salvador Bernal and Fernando Poe Jr.

Featured here are outstanding Pangasinenses such the late President Fidel V. Ramos (from Lingayen); writer and novelist Maria P. Magsano; educator, suffraguette and social worker Geronima T. Pecson (from Lingayen) and Speaker of the House of Representatives Eugenio P. Perez (from San Carlos City).

Victorio Edades and Francisco Sionil Jose

Also given a place of honor are actor, director, producer and National Artist (2006) Fernando Poe Jr. (from San Carlos City); National Artist for Theater and Design (2003) Salvador Bernal (from Dagupan City); painter and National Artist (1976) Victorio C. Edades (from Dagupan City) and writer and National Artist for Literature (2001) Francisco Sionil Jose (from Rosales).

Pantranco Bus

Replica of Manila-Dagupan railway locomotive

The Heritage Exhibits features rich displays of traditional clothing, accessories, and crafts that reflect the unique identity and customs of the local communities.

Replica of Bolinao Skull

Scaled Model of the Casa Real

The other galleries feature hand-embroidered veils; a replica of the Bolinao Skull (with its gold dental ornamentation); scaled models of the Casa Real and Provincial Capitol Building; small replicas of a bahay kubo, a Chinese junk, a Pangasinan Transport Co. (Pantranco) bus, the 0-6-2 side tank locomotive of the Manila-Dagupan Railway and even a bull-drawn cart full of baskets that were sold in a caravan.

Replica of a Chinese junk

To enhance the visitor experience, Banáan also has a carefully curated Gift Shop that offers unique souvenirs, local crafts, books, and artwork.

Gift Shop

Aside from guided tours, Banaan also offers special programs and activities, such as workshops, lecture series and cultural festivals. There are dedicated spaces for educational interactive workshops on traditional crafts, painting, music, and dance, which allow visitors to experience Pangasinan’s living cultural heritage firsthand, as well as for lecture series where invited speakers and experts will share their expertise on various aspects of Pangasinan’s history, archaeology, and culture.

Scaled model of Provincial Capitol Building

Banaan also hosts regular cultural events and festivals showcasing the vibrant traditions and celebrations of the region.

 

Bahay Kubo

Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum: Poblacion, Lingayen, Pangasinan.  Coordinates: 16.019805°N 120.230341°E. Entrance to the museum is via an online reservation system (launched last September 4) incorporated in the “See Pangasinan” website.  The link is promoted through the PTCAO/See Pangasinan Facebook page. Walk-ins are not allowed yet.

Steveston Tram Museum (Richmond, British Columbia, Canada)

Steveston Tram Museum

The Steveston Tram Museum, housing the beautifully restored Tram Car 1220, one of the original trams that ran on Richmond’s interurban rail system and the largest artifact in the Richmond Museum Collection, allows visitors to experience authentic Interurban rail travel and learn about early 20th century transportation.

The left side of the museum

The bright red, 2,370 sq. ft.  museum, opened in May 2013 across the street from where the Steveston Station (which burned down in 1928 and replaced by a simple tram stop shelter in 1929) once stood, was designed by Birmingham & Wood Architects and built by Scott Special Projects Ltd., around the original tracks of the BC Electric Railway (BCER) Interurban Network.

The large windows at the right side of the museum

For 55 years, it provided an important economic and social connection between Richmond and the rest of the Lower Mainland. Today, you can still spot the original railroad path and power poles around the tram.

the Heritage Train Tracks at the rear of the museum

The building has 27-ft. high windows, a winch system to allow the tram  to be pulled out of the building for special events, and public art created by artist Mia Weinberg, a 1994 graduate of Emily Carr University of Art and Design, which will be integrated into the floor of the outdoor platform at the main entrance of the building.  It also has a community meeting room and had a restoration space (now converted into a programming space after the restoration was completed).

Heritage Train Tracks

Here’s the historical timeline of the BC Electric Railway Interurban Network:

  • In 1902, rail connection in Steveston started when the Lulu Island railway, owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), ran freight and passenger steam trains to the area.
  • In 1905, the CPR leased the rail line to the BC Electric Railway Company (BCER), who electrified it for tram use. This was part of the BCER’s establishment of an Interurban railway network that would connect different communities throughout the Lower Mainland, otherwise difficult to reach.
  • In 1913, BCER added 28 1200-class tram cars bought from the St. Louis Car Company in Missouri (USA). Among them was Tram Car 1220.
  • By the 1940s, it had grown to 72 cars and 140,000 annual passengers

Tram Car 1220

Tram Car 1220, nicknamed the “Sockeye Special,” was discovered in a Mitchell Island warehouse in 1992.  Serving the local residents of Steveston to Marpole (located in south Vancouver), it was made of sturdy steel and wood, it was painted bright red.

The tram car could carry up to 64 seated passengers at a time.  They ran from the BC Electric Building at the southwest corner of Carol and Hastings Street to Steveston Village.

Tram entrance

On February 28, 1958, Tram Car 1220 made its final voyage between Marpole and Steveston, marking the end of an era for the Richmond community and for transportation history in BC.

Tram interior which looks like a glowing, wood and glass jewelry box. Beyond is the smoking area

After decades of being off the tracks, the City of Richmond acquired Tram Car 1220 and, on May 3, 2013, opened the Steveston Tram Museum which was inspired by the architecture of the first Steveston Tram Station.

A mini display.  On Saturday, the last train of the night (12 AM) leaving Vancouver carried Steveston revelers who strewed peanut shells from the snacks they’d bought from the station. Not surprisingly, this last-nigh service was locally known as the “Peanut Special.”

Five years later, after a painstaking, three-year, $400,000 restoration starting in 2016, the tram made an exciting return to its former glory.

Another mini display showing chickens, a milk churn and crates of vegetables that sometimes rode alongside passengers

Tram Car 1220 is one of only seven remaining BC Electric Railway cars, five of them in BC in various states of functionality (most of the interurbans ended up being burnt at the railyard under the Burrard Street Bridge).  Several “sister” trams are located in Metro Vancouver, as well as one in Ottawa (Car 1235 at the Canada Science and Technology).

Vintage advertisements, lining the tram;s interior, of products such as Eaton’s Tea, Dri-Glo, Barq’s and even Goodwin’s “corn dodger” shoes

In Metro Vancouver, you can visit the other surviving BCER cars at the Burnaby Village Museum (Tram 1223) or the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society  in Surrey where they offer hour-long rides around Cloverdale aboard Car 1225. 

Check out “Burnaby Village Museum 

The author donning an motorman’s costume and cap

Jandy

When we entered the tram, a male costumed Heritage Interpreter dressed as a tram conductor immediately greeted us and walked us through, pointing out things that we would never have noticed – the smoking half of the tram with no ashtrays, the screws on the outside that are all aligned, etc.

The mechanical controls and the tiny motorman’s stool

The restoration inside was exceptional – from the rattan seats, graffiti to the match striker plates (where you can strike up a light) at the smoking section.

Vancouver Fares

Exhibits and child-friendly interactive displays also showcase this piece of Richmond history. One exhibit highlights the impact that trams had on Richmond and the Lower Mainland. It includes an extensive timeline on the history of trams which is complimented with footage of trams travelling through Richmond.

Interactive Tram Map

There is also a huge interactive map of all the tram routes that ran through Metro Vancouver.  Push buttons light up the five main lines and the stations that operate on them.

Brake lever, bell cord and conductor’s coin changer

Another interactive aspect of the exhibit is a display explaining how conductors would operate the trams with the ability to use the bell and handbrake that were onboard trams.

Main Station Clock

Another display on the tram car’s restoration process highlights the efforts of volunteers and paid professionals to bring the car to its past glory. Visitors can also dress up as a conductor.

Tickets of the Tram

Evocative artifacts on display include rail spikes, tram tokens, a 1950 employee badge, a 1914 tram whistle and a handsome clock of the type that would have hung on the wall of every station along the network.

1953 motorman’s cap, BCER employee badge, reverse key

Also on display are faded signs from several old stations (Steveston, Trucks and Woodward’s); a 1950s hat worn by a motorman (AKA tram driver); a fare poster from the line’s final years (an adult one-zone fare was just 13c), a brake lever, bell cord and conductor’s coin changer.

Restoring the Rare

Adjacent to the museum is the Steveson Nikkei Memorial, a public art and contemplative garden space unveiled on June 22, 2019, that honors the 75th anniversary of the evacuation, relocation, and internment of 2,500 Japanese Canadians from Steveston during World War II.  It further celebrates the rebuilding of the Steveston community following their return from internment in following the war. 

Steveson Nikkei Memorial

Steveston Tram Museum: 4011 Moncton St., Richmond, British Columbia V7E 3A8.  Tel: 604-238-8081.  E-mail: interurban1220@richmond.ca. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 12 to 4 PM (Spring, January 3 to May 19); daily, 10 AM to 5 PM (Summer, May 20 to September 4)  and Tuesdays to Sundays, 12 to 4 PM (Fall/Winter, September 5 to December 31). Closed on statutory holidays.  Admission is free.

 

CN Station Historic Site (Fort Langley, British Columbia, Canada)

CN Station Historic Site

Fort Langley’s CN Station (historically known as “”Langley Station”), built in 1915 for the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) as agriculture expanded and new settlement drew people into the Fraser Valley, was absorbed by the Canadian National Railway in 1918 and was expanded to accommodate larger living quarters for the Station Agent.

Wooden waiting platform

Its life as a passenger station spanned the steam through diesel eras until 1980. The station, originally located 240 m. to the west, was used full time until 1972 when it was reduced to a flag stop. In 1980, passenger service was completely terminated and, for a time, the station stood empty.

In 1983, the station was moved to its present location, two blocks east, by volunteers of the Langley Heritage Society (a volunteer, non-profit organization).  After it was moved, the station underwent a two year restoration by Heritage Society members.  On February 27, 1984, the building was declared as a Municipal Heritage Site. In 2001, the Langley Heritage Society received a B.C. Heritage Society Award of Honor for the restoration project.

Built to a standard 3rd Class Type design (plan 100-29), this is one of the few remaining stations like it in western Canada (there were 85 such buildings built), and the only surviving Class C station (a total of twelve stations were built within a twelve mile stretch of Langley) from this era in the Langley region.

The 3rd Class station design, developed for the CNoR by influential architect Ralph Benjamin Pratt, is distinguished by its hip roof, a unique feature that branded the station as CNoR constructions. The building’s main floor accommodates an office and waiting room while the upper level contains living quarters for the station master.

The station also has a sizeable, single-storey wing that serves as a baggage are..  It is now owned by the Township of Langley and is maintained and operated by the Langley Heritage Society through an innovative partnership,

Historical plaque

The recreated station garden, featuring 37 varieties of perennials (from alyssum to zinnia), were maintained much like Station Master Richard Simpson (who sold train tickets, handled freight and sent & received telegrams, earning $45 per month in 1918 and also working 60 hours a week) and his wife Mary did from 1918 to 1929, when annual garden competitions happened between stations.  Using original plant cuttings and seeds, it is now a recreation of what would have been there in the early twentieth century.

Wooden caboose (ca. 1920)

A wooden caboose, added beside the station, houses the 1950s era Glen Valley model railway.  A 1947 railway car, purchased and renovated in 1997 by the Langley Heritage Society, was renamed E. & E. Taylor, honoring Fort Langley residents Evelyn and Egbert Taylor, who dedicated much time to development of the railway station, as did the late Bays Blackhall who ran station operations for many years.  Inside is telegraph station for kids and a gallery  of the local Fort Langley Artists Group (FLAG) in the baggage room (they have displays on weekends and holidays in summer).

1947 Railway Car

A section of track, donated by CN In 2004, was installed in front of the station to accommodate the velocipede, on loan from the B.C. Farm Machinery and Agricultural Museum.

Speeder trailer at the section of track

The station’s freight room displays many other fascinating objects and archival images while station waiting room houses a weathered trunk that belonged to Lois Bowling, the first British war bride (she married Canadian air gunner Ross Bowling on July 1, 1944) to arrive (in 1946) in Langley after the Second World War.

Portrait of Ross Bowling and Lois Cross

This well designed and visually pleasing, two-storey, wood frame station was built with a broad roof overhang and eave brackets typical of train stations from the early twentieth century. It also had station signage, wood drop sidings; dormers; 9-over-1 double hung sash windows on both main and second level on all four facades and chimneys (1 straight and 1 using salmon brick with a flair to its design).

General Waiting Room

The wooden passenger platform runs the length of front of building.  Inside is a ticket master office, with original finishes, a Baggage room and residence for station master (currently for caretaker).

Luggage Wagon

The station, representing an important part of the transportation network that spawned and encouraged the growth of Fort Langley, is now a symbol for the Township of Langley as a heritage conservation pioneer.  It is also part of the Fort Langley Walking Tour and is a popular location for wedding and graduation photographs. 

Train shed

CN Station Historic Site: 23245 Mavis Ave. cor. Grover Rd., Fort Langley, Langley Township, British Columbia V1M 2S3, Canada.  Tel: (604) 513-8787. E-mail: info@langleyheritage.ca,  Website: www.langleyheritage.ca. Open Thursdays to Sundays, noon until 4 pm (summer, until Thanksgiving).  Admission is free but a $20 donation is appreciated. Mail to: Langley Heritage Society, Box 982, Fort Langley, B.C..

How to Get There: from Vancouver, it is a 35-min, (38.8-km.) drive via the Trans Canada Highway/BC-1E. From the Expo line exit at Surrey Central Station, catch the #501 Langley Centre bus at bay #4. Get off at Walnut Grove Park and Ride (about 30 mins. on the bus) and transfer to a C62 Langley Centre Via Fort Langley Community Shuttle Bus at bay #2 and get off at the corner of 96th Ave. and Glover Rd. (about 22 mins. on the bus) The village is located along both sides of Glover Rd. – mostly to the north.

Fairacres Mansion (Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada)

Fairacres Mansion

The large, two-and-one-half storey, sprawling Fairacres Mansion, also called the H.T. Ceperley House (after its original owners), now houses the Burnaby Art Gallery.   Designed by English born and trained architect Robert Percival Sterling Twizell (1875-1964) who was steeped in the current architectural trends in Great Britain, it was one of his grandest residential commissions.  The mansion, on the north shore of Deer Lake, was built in 1910 at an estimated cost of C$150,000.00, making it the largest and most expensive house in Burnaby and the Lower Mainland at that time.

Check out “Burnaby Art Gallery” and “Deer Lake Park

The 20-acre (half of it landscaping) estate, owned by American-born couple Henry Tracy Ceperley (1850- 1929) and Grace E. Dixon Ceperley (1863-1917, a successful and well-respected businessman who made a significant contribution to the development of the City of Vancouver), was conceived and funded by Grace who had achieved significant wealth through a bequest from Vancouver pioneer Arthur G. Ferguson (the same Ferguson of Ferguson Point in Stanley Park), her brother-in-law. The construction of Fairacres, their retirement home, spawned the transformation of the Deer Lake area from a farming community into a preferred location for elite suburban homes.


The mansion was constructed in the Edwardian Arts and Crafts style which is often used for estate mansions as a symbol of affluence and good, modern taste, as well as an affinity for all things British. It is reflected in the architectural detailing and proportions, with handmade fixtures, carpentry and tiled fireplaces.  Quality, in the finishes and materials, orchestrated by James Charles Allen, a prominent local contractor, was displayed inside and out.

On the death of Grace at the age of 54 ‘(her ghost was said to haunt the mansion), Henry sold the house, in 1923, to Frederick Buscombe (one-time mayor of Vancouver). It also served as a tuberculosis ward for Vancouver General Hospital.  In 1939, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Munro, the last family to own the mansion, sold the house to the Benedictine monks from Oregon and, in 1953, it became an abbey. In 1954, the Order vacated the house when it moved to Westminster Abbey (British Columbia) in Mission.

 

In 1955, the Benedictines sold the property to the Canadian Temple of the More Abundant Life, a cult headed by William Franklin Wolsey (who called himself “Archbishop John I”), a convicted bigamist (with a string of extortion and wife-beating charges), serving as its church and school.  After the school closed in 1960 (when Wolsey fled the country), it was leased and converted into a fraternity house (or “Animal House” of sorts) for Simon Fraser University‘s Delta Upsilon Fraternity.

Ground floor fireplace

In 1966, the Burnaby Art Society (led by Jack Hardman, Polly Svangtun, Sheila Kincaid and Winifred Denny, among others) worked with the City of Burnaby (its first civic heritage conservation project) to purchase the 3.4 hectares (8.4 acres) site for C$166,000.00 for conversion to Burnaby’s first art gallery.

To mark Canada’s Centennial of Confederation, the Burnaby Art Gallery opened its doors in June 1967. In 1992, it was designated as a Heritage Property and, on February 22, 2005, it was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.

Wooden stairway

The exterior featured a rich variety of exterior elements that demonstrate the typical Edwardian Arts and Crafts use of local materials such as cobblestone chimneys and foundations, wide wooden siding and half-timbering.

It had a side-gabled roof with prominent dormers and cedar shingle cladding, a porte cochere (with its side steps for those arriving by automobile, and central raised step for those alighting from horse-drawn carriages), a mixture of double-hung and casement wooden-sash windows (many with multi-paned sash) and a verandah across the eastern (garden) facade, with its vistas over the landscaped gardens, the distant mountains, Deer Lake and other grand homes in the area.

The lavish interior spaces, designed for entertaining on a grand scale, featured a generous living and dining rooms arranged off a central hall.  Detailed features of the interior woodwork (including the staircase) were carved by Scottish-born George Selkirk Gibson (1867-1942), a master wood carver who was best known for his many commissions for prominent British Columbia architect Samuel Maclure.

The billiard room and parlor with a beamed ceiling and an inglenook fireplace, also had a grand oak mantelpiece hand-carved by Gibson which bears a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.”

The tiles in the fireplace surrounds throughout the house, imported from England, were fabricated by Conrad Dressler and his Medmenham Pottery.  It is one of the earliest documented use of these tiles outside the United Kingdom.  The interiors also featured leaded stained glass and window hardware by Hope and Sons.

Marker for Root House and Steam Plant

The main house anchors, in style and setting, the four associated original outbuildings (Garage and Stables; Root House, Steam Plant and Chauffeur’s Cottage) on the estate which are an important record of the functioning of a large estate of the time.  Some were designed by Architect Robert Mackay Fripp (1858-1917), also an outspoken advocate of Arts and Crafts design.

Root House

The one-storey, 4.6 by 9.1 m., masonry Root House, was used as a frost-free store for fruit and vegetables for the family’s use. Built in 1908, the long, low Root House was significantly altered in the 1960s and restored to its original design in 2000.

Root House

It had a front-gabled roof with cedar shingle cladding and its distinctive Arts and Crafts architectural features include its original louvered ventilation cupola with flared roof, extended eaves and brackets, and pebble-dashed stucco coating on the concrete walls.

The Garage and Stables and the Chauffeur’s Cottage accommodated the use of automobiles, horses and carriages and, in concert with the estate’s location near the new British Columbia Electric Railway Burnaby Lake interurban line, illustrate the evolving nature of regional transportation and the growing bedroom communities and estates made possible by increasing options for transportation.

Marker for Chauffeur’s Cottage and Garage and Stables

The two-storey, wood frame Garage and Stables, situated to the north of the Chauffeur’s Cottage, its distinctive Arts and Crafts architectural features include the shingle wall cladding articulated with a chevron-patterned course of shingles at the first floor level, multi-paned wooden-sash casement windows (some retaining original wired glass), and deep eaves with additional purlins to support the overhang.  Its stable doors, with hand-made forged-iron door hardware, are still original.

Stables and Garage

The long, narrow single-storey Chauffeur’s Cottage, situated across from the main entrance to the Ceperley mansion, adjacent to the Garage and Stables, was constructed by joining together two modest estate cottages.

Chauffer’s Cottage

Its distinctive Arts and Crafts architectural features include the jerkin-headed door hood, a reference to the thatched-roofed cottages of southern England, eight-paned wooden-sash casement windows, and cedar-shingled exterior.  The modest, functional interior, with simple trim and lack of pretension, had two internal brick chimneys.

Steam Plant Building

The single-storey wood-frame Steam Plant building, built from 1907 to 1908, had a gabled roof that originally housed the apparatus for climate control in the greenhouse (formerly located to its north).  It was significantly altered in the 1960s and restored to its original design in 2000.

Steam Plant Building

Adjacent to it is the original rubblestone walls that formed the foundation for the greenhouse. It had six-paned wooden-sash casement windows and its distinctive Arts and Crafts architectural features include the shingle wall cladding with decorative shingling under window sills, deep eaves, and pebble-dashed concrete foundation walls.

Kiln Station

The remaining formal Edwardian garden landscape elements include the cross-axial plan that reflects the relationship of the mansion to its outdoor rooms. Its grounds also included horse stables, an aviary, gazebo and pergola, lagoons, strawberry fields, greenhouses, a kiln station and a gardener’s cottage.  On November 23, 1992, Fairacres Mansion was designated as a Heritage Site.

Check out “Heritage Buildings of Burnaby”

Fairacres Mansion: 6344 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby V5G 213, British Columbia, Canada. Tel: (604) 297-4422.  Fax: (604) 205-7339.  E-mail: gallery@burnaby.ca.  Website: www.burnabyartgallery.ca. Open Tuesdays to Fridays, 10 AM to 4:30 PM, and Saturdays and Sundays, 12 noon to 5 PM. Admission is free (a C$5 donation is suggested).

How to Get There: Bus 144 Metrotown runs from the Burnaby Lake SkyTrain Station to the mansion.  By car, take Sprott St. Exit, drive straight through Canada Way, past Burnaby City Hall and Central High School, turn left into Deer Lake Ave.  The mansion is at the top of the hill on your right.

Victory Square (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Victory Square and Cenotaph

Victory Square, bordered by West Hastings Street to the northeast, West Pender Street to the southwest, Cambie Street to the southeast, and Hamilton Street to the northwest, stands at the intersection of the old Granville town site (AKA Gastown) and the CPR Town site, which was the downtown-designated land grant obtained by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) as part of the deal to locate the terminus and thereby found the city (the corner of Hastings and Hamilton is the northern tip of the CPR Townsite).

Check out “Gastown”

Hastings Street Side

The site of the Cenotaph is significant. In 1914, because of the strong royalist sentiment in the city, it was at tables at the foot of the old courthouse steps where enlistees signed up for the First World War.  The maple trees on the Pender Street side of the park are the oldest street trees in the city, planted in 1897.

Hamilton Street Side

It was, at one time, the grounds of the city’s provincial courthouse, which was torn down in 1911–13 when the new Francis Rattenbury-designed courthouse along Georgia Street was opened (now the Vancouver Art Gallery). The term is also used to refer to the neighborhood immediately surrounding the square.

Check out “Vancouver Art Gallery

Pender Street Side

Here’s the historical timeline of the square:

  • On February 13, 1886, an area of 3,600 sq. m. (0.9acres) out of the1.9 sq. km. (480 acres) allotted to the CPR was held aside as “Government Square.” The southwest corner of Hamilton and Hastings Streets is where L. A. Hamilton drove the first survey stake to commence laying out the street system for the city.
  • On 27 April 1924, the Victory Square Cenotaph was unveiled by His Worship William Reid Owen (Mayor of Vancouver), in the presence of an assemblage of 25,000 persons; naval, military and civilian, and including the Old Contemptibles7th British Columbia29th Vancouver (its chaplain, Major Cecil C. Owen M.B.E., V.D., D.D., dedicated the cenotaph), 72nd Seaforths2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles47th New Westminster, and 102nd North British Columbian Battalions, CEF, and others.

Pillar at Hastings Street side is decorated with a long sword and is engraved with the inscription “Their name liveth forevermore”and is kept continuously banked high with wreaths of flowers and adorned with national flags

The approximately 9.1 m. (30 ft.) tall, triangular (its shape conforms to that of the square) Victory Square Cenotaph , the Vancouver war memorial, was designed thus by Maj. G.L. Thornton Sharp (architect, town planner and park commissioner).  The 24-man (12 represented the Canadian Club of Vancouver and 12 the Civic War Memorial Committee) Vancouver War Memorial Committee, under the chairmanship of pioneer F.W. Rounsefell, Esq. (with J.R.V. Dunlop, of the Canadian Club, as honorary secretary), were the public-spirited sponsors.

Wreath at the base of the Hastings Street side

The word “cenotaph” (an empty tomb in memory of one buried elsewhere) is derived from the Greek word kenos (meaning “empty”) and taphos (meaning “tomb”).  The focus of the city’s annual Remembrance Day services, the Cenotaph lies at the foot of a gentle slope on the northern side of the square, on a plaza flanking Hastings Street. It is so placed that, when approached from the east, it appears in the distance centrally at the end of busy Hastings Street.

Wreath at Pender Street side

Made with gray Nelson Island granite (supplied by the Vancouver Granite Co., Ltd.), cost $10,666 and was erected by contractors Stewart who died from the effects of an accident whilst preparing the memorial) and Wylie. The pillar is engraved with suitable inscriptions and is kept continuously banked high with wreaths of flowers and adorned with national flags.

Inscription at Pender Street side that reads “All ye that pass by”

The stone ornamentations include one long sword and two wreaths (one of laurels, the other of poppies), both entwined with maple leaves.  The three corner buttresses are adorned by a stone replica of the steel helmet, as used in the war of 1914–1918.  The numerals “1914–1918,” at the base of the front, surrounds a larger wreath of laurels.

World War I helmet

A receptacle of three bronze maple leaves has slots that hold the staffs of the Union Jack, the Canadian Red Ensign, the Flag of Canada, the White Ensign, and RCAF Ensign, always flying, which are placed there by the Royal Canadian Legion and the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League, and renewed four times each year.

Sun Tower

One monument side faces busy Hastings Street (engraved inscription: “Their name liveth for evermore” and, within a stone wreath, “1914–1918″), the others Pender (engraved inscription: “All ye that pass by”) and Hamilton Streets (engraved inscription: “Is it nothing to you“). It is so placed that, when approached from the east, it appears in the distance centrally at the end of Hastings Street.

Flack Block (Copp Building)

Several historic buildings adjacent to Victory Square include the 13-storey, 53-m. (175 ft.) high, Second Empire-style Dominion Building (completed in 1910); the four-storey, Romanesque Revival-style Flack Block (or Copp Building, completed in 1900) and the 17 storey, 82 m. (269 ft.) high, Beaux-Arts-style Sun Tower (completed in 1912).

Dominion Building

Victory Square: VancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada.