Category Archives: Architecture

Peak Tram (Hong Kong)

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Upon arrival at the Lower Peak Tram Terminus, we bought our tickets for the Peak Tram, a 1.352 km. funicular ride through upper Hong Kong that will take us  up to around 396 m. up the 522-m. high Victoria Peak, the highest peak in Hong Kong.

Lower Peak Tram Terminus

Opened in May 1888  for the exclusive use of the British Governor and Victoria Peak residents (the first mechanical public transport in Hong Kong), this historic service remains, to this day, the steepest funicular railway in the world.  The trams were originally steam-driven.  In 1926, an electric cable haulage system was introduced and the current modernized enclosed, 2-car trams were introduced in 1989, using a 1520 mm. rail gauge.  Until the 1960s, there were 2 classes of tickets, one for the rich and the other for servants.

On Board the Peak Tram

The Peak Tram operates from 7 AM to midnight, departing within 10 to 15-min. intervals. The journey, from lower terminus to upper terminus, up the peak took us only 7 to 8 mins. but, during that short time, we were offered, as the tram ascended, an unfolding canvas of stunning views over Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Victoria Harbor.

Cityscape View From the Peak Tram

Each red tram has a capacity of 120 people (95 seated and 25 standing). There were immediate stations at Cotton Tree Drive Terminal, Kennedy Rd., MacDonnell Rd., May Rd. and Barker Rd. though, at busy times, it may not be possible to board as the trams may be full.

Peak Tower Terminus

We arrived at the upper terminus at the distinctive, ultra-modern, 7-storey Peak Tower by 12:30 PM.  The tower’s wok-shaped upper storey looks not unlike a Japanese Shinto Gate.  The tower was designed by architect Zaha Hadid and was completed on August 29, 1972. The current tower, designed by renowned British architect Terry Farrell, was officially reopened to the public on May 1997.

Peak Tower

Upon arrival, we first had our lunch at the tower’s Burger King outlet. After lunch, we proceeded to its view platform where we had a stunning cityscape view of Hong Kong’s skyline.  With over 7000 skyscrapers built in past 2 decades, it is the world biggest, larger than New York City and, many say, the most beautiful in the world.  Also best appreciated at night, when the neon lights of Hong Kong’s giant skyscrapers are most majestic, it remains one of the greatest man-made views on Earth.

Hong Kong’s Magnificent Skyline

The tower’s retail and entertainment complex features a number of top attractions, including Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium (2nd and 3rd floor), the Peak Explorer Motion Simulator (4th floor) and Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks Museum. Though we didn’t enter the wax museum, we still had a blast posing beside the available wax images of late martial arts start Bruce Lee and actress Cecilia Cheung.

Bruce Lee in Wax at Madame Tussaud’s

The tower also boasts of shopping arcades, 6 snack bars and cafes and 4 fine-dining restaurants including Hong Kong’s highest restaurant, Mövenpick Marche. After 1.5 hrs. on the tower, we decided it was time to leave for our next destination – Ocean Park, this time taking the taxi.

Peak Tram Lower Terminus: 33 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2522 0922. Fax: (852) 2849 6237. Website: www.thepeak.com.hk. Email : info@thepeak.com.hk. Fares: Adults (HK$28 single, HK$40 return), Child (HK$11 single, HK$18 return), Senior (65 and over, HK$11 single, HK$18 return).

Enroute to the Peak Tram (Hong Kong)

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After our breakfast at a MacDonald’s outlet along Nathan Rd., we all returned to our hotel and prepared for our day’s main activities – the Peak Tram in the morning and Ocean Park in the afternoon. We planned to all go the former via the very efficient Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system.  From the hotel, we all walked all the way, from Kimberley Rd. to Nathan Rd. and, from there, to the nearby Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station.  Here, we took the MTR to Central MTR Station.

Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station

Upon our arrival at Central, we made our way to the J2 Exit and walked up to the ground level. It was a pleasant walk from Central to the Peak Tram Lower Terminus. Turning right, through Chater Garden (a gathering place for many of our Filipino kababayans), we crossed Queen’s Road Central and made our way up Garden Road. Along the way, we passed a few famous Hong Kong landmarks such as the Bank of China Tower and Citibank Plaza on our left and St John’s Cathedral on our right.

Central MTR Station

The cross-shaped, Early English and Decorated-Gothic styled St. John’s Cathedral (or the Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist), a declared monument since January 5, 1996.  Located along Garden Road, it is the oldest surviving Western ecclesiastical building in Hong Kong and is believed to be the oldest Anglican church in the Far East.  It was built in 1849 and houses 3 beautiful stained glass windows, as well as a collection of British military colors, standards and guidons. An eastern extension was added in 1873.  During the Japanese occupation, the cathedral was used as a social club for the Japanese community.  It suffered heavy damage during the war and most of the present interior and furnishings are post-war.

St. John's Cathedral

Next to the cathedral, along Battery Path, is the Former French Mission Building, built by Sir Henry Pottinger, the first governor of Hong Kong. This granite and red brick structure, completed between 1842 and 1843, is one of Hong Kong’s oldest surviving colonial buildings. Acquired by the French Mission in 1915, it was extensively rebuilt in 1917 and was finally sold back to the Hong Kong Government in 1953. Reputedly the location of the colony’s first government house, it has green shutters, black wrought-iron details and a chapel on the northwest corner, topped by a cupola, added by French Catholic missionaries. Today, this Neo-Classical styled building is used as the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal and was declared as a declared monument on September 14, 1989.

Former French Mission Building

Built in 1950, the 17-storey Old Bank of China Building, Hong Kong Building was, for some time, one of the masterpieces of Hong Kong architecture. Contemporary in style, it was completed only a year after the Communist Party came to power in China. The new party endeavored to make it one of the grandest buildings in Hong Kong and, at one point, it towered more than 20 feet over the neighboring Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Building (HSBC), which was their goal.

Old Bank of China Building (left) beside the newer HSBC Building

No longer home to the Bank of China, the attractive building is – ironically – now one of the shortest in Hong Kong’s Central District, was replaced in the 1990s by I.M Pei’s stunning Bank of China Tower. However, during its heyday, the old building served not only as bank headquarters but also as a way to encourage Hong Kong citizens to disregard their colonial rulers and pledge allegiance to China. It is said that during the 1960s, loud speakers were placed on the exterior of the building to broadcast “patriotic” messages to locals.

Bank of China Building

The Old Bank of China was designed by P & T Architects and Engineers Ltd., established in 1868. Also known as Palmer and Turner, the group has, throughout the decades, designed a number of other well-known Hong Kong landmarks, including the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (Bank of China’s rival) and a number of other office buildings, hotels, and condominiums worldwide.

Clock Tower, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Hong Kong Museum of Art and Hong Kong Space Museum (Hong Kong)

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From Kowloon Park, Jandy, Cheska and I walked along Canton Road until we reached the red brick and granite, 45-m. high Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower, located near Victoria Harbor at the foot of Salisbury Road.  Topped by a 7-m. high lightning rod, it is the only remnant of the original site of the former Kowloon Station on the Kowloon-Canton Railway. Built in 1915, it marks the start of the scenic Waterfront Promenade and remains as a photogenic monument to Tsim Sha Tsui’s rail heritage. The tower can be reached by a wooden staircase located within. Another landmark, the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier, is located nearby.

Clock Tower

The Clock Tower reused the clock from the now demolished Pedder Street Clock Tower. However, only one side had a clock, and it was not until 1920 that the remaining three sides of the Clock Tower were installed. They began operation in the afternoon of March 22, 1921, and have run ever since except during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II.  In 1975, the Kowloon Station was moved to the present-day Hung Hom Station, on the newly reclaimed Hung Hom Bay. The old building of the station was demolished in 1977 but the Clock Tower was preserved. Since July 13, 1990, the tower has been listed as a declared monument in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Cultural Center

Today, the site of the historic railway station is now occupied by the multipurpose Hong Kong Cultural Center, its curving roof and futuristic features creating an unusual background to the Clock Tower. Home to the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the center has an oval, 2-tiered 2,019-seat Concert Hall with adjustable acoustic canopy and curtains and finished with high-quality oak.  It also houses an 8,000-pipe pipe organ (Asia’s largest, built by the Austrian firm Rieger Orgelbau), a 1,734-seat, 3-tiered Grand Theater for large scale opera, ballet and musicals,  a 300-496-seat Studio Theater for smaller-scale theater and performance works, an  Exhibition Gallery, 4 foyer exhibition areas and 11 rehearsal and practice rooms.

Hong Kong Museum of Art

Flanking the Hong Kong Cultural Center are the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Museum of Art.  The Hong Kong Museum of Art, a museum for Chinese cultural heritage, and local and international art in Hong Kong, houses 14,000 art objects, mainly Chinese paintings of historical significance, sculpture and calligraphy works and antique Chinese treasures.  The museum also presents a great variety of thematic exhibitions drawn from local and overseas sources. It was first established in the City Hall in 1962 and moved to the present premises in 1991.

Hong Kong Space Museum

The 80,000-sq. m., dome-shaped Hong Kong Space Museum, built in 1980, has 3 sections: the Hall of Space Science, the Hall of Astronomy, and one of the world’s largest and most technical planetariums, the Space Theater, where thrilling wide-screen Omnimax and Skyshows are presented.

How to Get There: From MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station Exit E, walk towards Salisbury Road, turn right, take pedestrian next to YMCA to Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Then turn right and walk straight ahead towards the waterfront.  Take Star Ferry from Central or Wan Chai and follow the signs. The Clock Tower is located next to the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier.

Stopover at Carcar City (Cebu)

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The cake-like kiosk

Another long stopover, for merienda, was made at a Jollibee in the  junction town of Carcar, 40.3 kms. (a 1-hour drive) from Cebu City. It just rained, but this didn’t stop me from exploring Cebu’s version of a “heritage town” in detail. Just outside, a wonderful round kiosk from the American era greeted me, valiantly standing proud, amid large offending billboards, at the center of the Carcar Rotunda. It is one of the best surviving examples of its genre in the country.Carcaranons engage in blacksmithing and the making of footwear and native delicacies such as ampao (sweetened and crispy rice crunchies), bucarillo (colored coconut candy) and chicharon (pork skin cracklings). Tacoy (sweet pomelos) are also grown here.

Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria

The town’s affluence during the Spanish colonial era is still evident in its sprawling plaza and its surviving large and small intricately decorated antique manors. Carcar is noted for its striking examples of preserved colonial architecture, both from the Spanish and American eras. The most notable structure is the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria.

Church interior

Its lovely and massive Graeco-Tuscan façade has a strong Muslim influence as seen from its double recessed arched main entrance (similar to an iwan of a Middle Eastern mosque).

The church patio, surrounded by a low fence of coral stone and wrought iron, has statues of the 12 Apostles, all painted white, except for that of Judas (standing all alone on a pedestal in front of the convent), which is painted black.

St. Catherine’s Dispensary

On the same hill as the Church are the American-era Carcar Dispensary and St. Catherine’s Academy (founded in 1923). The façades of both are decorated with carved wooden gingerbread fretwork, cut out in the manner of Victorian houses and all looking as delicate as fragile heirloom lace that could flutter even with a slight breeze. At the foot of the hill is a small but imposing plaza decorated with statues.

Mercado Mansion

Within the town are 46 quaint and antique ancestral houses called balay na bato (stone houses), some decorated with intricate lacy (calado) woodwork from the 1920s. This calado architecture, prevalent in Carcar, is unsurpassed in the country. A number of old houses, some older than the church, are found at the foot of the hill.

 

Stopover: Church of Nuestra Señora Patrocinio de Maria (Boljo-on, Cebu)

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Church of Nuestra Señora Patrocinio de Maria

Standing on a small plateau near the beach, this church was destroyed in a piratical raid in 1782. The present masonry church was started by Fr. Ambrosio Otero in 1783, continued by Fr. Manuel Cordero in 1794 and was finished by Fr. Julian Bermejo.

The convent

Fr. Bermejo also built a stone fence to enclose the church and convent.  An organ was installed on the choir loft in 1880.  The large convent and church were restored by Fr. Leandro Moran (parish priest from 1920 to 1948).

The church pilasters

The church has a main nave, a transept and is 65 m. long, 12 m. wide, 12 m. high and its walls are supported by 28 2-m. thick pilasters made with mortar and lime.  Their beautifully decorated and elegant interior has ornate, gilded, 18th century retablos with wooden railings with Chinese-inspired tracery.  The Pseudo-Baroque-Rococo communion rail, with ornate silverwork, has been stolen. The austere Classic facade has three levels, an elongated pediment and is decorated with bas reliefs and floral and geometric motifs.

The bell tower

The rectangular, fortress-like bell tower, built in 1701, has fort windows used to show cannons to defend against Moro pirates. The sound of its silver bells reached Oslob and Alcoy. But in 1802, they were stolen by Muslim hordes led by Datu Orendain (because of their weight, the Moro vinta sunk). Today it has 3 bells. The L-shaped convent, also built and finished in 1841, by Fr. Bermejo, still has its original tile roof.  Its ground floor now houses a museum.  Outside, at the epistle side of the church is an enclosed cemetery with an arched entrance.  An old school building, built in 1940, is now the Catholic Womens League (CWL) headquarters.

A blockhouse

This relatively well-preserved church is the oldest remaining original stone church in Cebu.  It is now listed by the National Museum  as a National Cultural Treasure.  In 1998, this church was declared for conservation and restoration and, in 1999, technical studies have been undertaken, with the help of the German government, to pursue conservation and restoration efforts.

Cebu Trail: Oslob to Carcar City

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Looc Pier (Sibulan)

We left Dumaguete City (Negros Oriental) after lunch and drove our Ford Explorer 5.5 kms. north to Sibulan’s Looc Pier, where the M/T Joseph-1, a Roll-On Roll-Off ferry, would take us and the car over to Brgy. Mainit in Oslob, Cebu. The Explorer was the last to be loaded on board and the ship finally left Looc Port by 1:30 PM.

Our Ford Explorer disembarking from the M/T Joseph-1 at Mainit Port

The sea journey to Oslob (Cebu) was smooth all the way and, after less than an hour, our ship arrived at Mainit Port by 2:15 PM.  Being the last car loaded at Sibulan, our Ford Explorer was, conversely, the first one off the ship.

Church of Nuestra Señora Patrocinio de Maria (Boljo-on)

From thereon, with Charlie on the wheel, we would have to drive the remaining 132.5-kms. up to Cebu City but we did this at a leisurely pace.  Just 28 kms./45 mins. out of Oslob, we made a short 10-min. stopover (1 of 3 we made) at the Church of Nuestra Señora Patrocinio de Maria in Boljo-on along the highway and facing the beach. This relatively well-preserved church is the oldest remaining original stone church in Cebu.  It is now listed by the National Museum  as a National Cultural Treasure. The church was closed during our visit.

Check out “Church of Nuestra Señora Patrocinio de Maria“

Church of Our Lady of the Pillar

Church of Our Lady of the Pillar (Sibonga)

Continuing on for 45.5 kms., we made another stopover at the Church of Our Lady of the Pillar in Sibonga which had a simple and bare, Pseudo-Gothic façade.  Like the previous church, this too was closed and, thus, failed to see its wooden colonnade and a painted ceiling mural done by Raymundo Francia.

Check out “Church of Our Lady of the Pillar“

San Isidro Labrador Church

Church of St. Isidore the Farmer (San Fernando)

Along the way, prior to our arrival in Carcar, I also took quick exterior shots of the Gothic-style Church of St. Isidore the Farmer in San Fernando and the Church of St. Francis of Assisi (with its unusual façade, suggestive of Mexican art that is skillfully integrated into the local Filipino religious architecture) in Naga.

Check out “Church of St. Isidore the Farmer” and “Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi“

Church of St. Francis of Assisi

Church of St. Francis of Assisi (Naga)

Molo District: The "Athens of the Philippines" (Iloilo City)

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Molo District, located 4 kms. from the city proper, was the former Chinese quarter of Arevalo called the Parian. Formerly a town before it was absorbed by Ilolilo City, it is also called the “Athens of the Philippines” because it produced some of the best political leaders and thinkers of the land such as Gregorio S. Araneta (secretary of the Malolos Congress), Gen. Aniceto L. Lacson and Chief Justice Ramon Avancena.  Here, you can try the popular pancit molo, spiced pork-chicken meatballs daintily wrapped in thin dough and boiled in peppery chicken-pork broth.  It was introduced here by the Chinese during the 18th century.

Church of St. Anne

The district’s twin-towered, Gothic–Renaissance Church of St. Anne, one of a few churches in Iloilo not built by the Augustinians, was built with coral rock and a tile roof, in 1831, under the supervision of Don Jose Manuel Locsin. In 1863, it was replaced by a temporary church by Fr. Jose Ma. Sichon until it was renovated in 1869 by Bishop Mariano Cuartero.  On August 4, 1886, our National Hero Jose P. Rizal visited this church to pray on his way to Manila from exile in Dapitan, referring to it as “la iglesia bonita.”  During the liberation of Iloilo in 1945, the church withstood artillery barrages but its two bell towers were totally destroyed and the church partially damaged.  It was rebuilt after the war.  The church, declared as a National Landmark by the National Historical Institute in 1992, has stained-glass windows and 5 wooden Gothic-style retablos. It is also called the Women’s Lib church because of the 16 life-size female saints’ statues lining the nave.  The district’s patron saint, St. Anne is in a prominent corner of its massive, antique wooden altar.

A nearby bandstand

In front of the church is a plaza filled with old trees, with gnarled trunks and branches, and an interesting domed gazebo which is actually a bandstand, a typical feature in Western Visayas plazas.

Church of St. Anne: cor. Jocson and San Marcos Sts., Molo District, Iloilo City, Iloilo.

Church of St. Joseph the Patriarch (Aguilar, Pangasinan)

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This fine old Spanish-era church was first built in 1809 by Dominican Father Bernardo Pons.  The foundation of the present church and bell tower were first laid by Fr. Benito Sanchez Fraga, continued by Frs. Ramon Dalmau and Francisco Treserra and finished by Fr. Pedro Villanova.  It was inaugurated on June 4, 1854.  The choir loft and sacristy were built by Fr. Lucio Asensio.  From 1866 to 1878, Fr. Gallego built the main altar and ceiling, painted the church and finished the bell tower.   The bell tower was destroyed during the March 16, 1892 earthquake and later repaired by Fr. Victor Herrero.

Church of St. Joseph the Patriarch

Church of St. Joseph the Patriarch

The church has a distinct 3-level Baroque facade with a large volute at the pediment sloping down to the second level.  There are also superpositioned columns, a segmented arched main entrance, depressed segmented arched windows on the second level and a statued niche at the third level.   The foundations of its present convent was first laid in 1832 by Fr. Juan Alvarez del Manzano, continued by Fr. Nicolas Fuentes and finished by Fr. Benito Sanchez Fraga.

The church interior

The church interior

How to Get There: San Fabian is located 9 kms. south of Lingayen and 191 kms. from Manila.

Cathedral of St. Joseph (Alaminos City, Pangasinan)

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This church was first built by in 1770 but was destroyed by fire in 1814.  The present structure was started by Fr. Manuel Busqueto from 1837 to 1849 and continued by Fr.Jose Tornos from 1849 to 1878.  Fr.Victorino Vereciano renovated the roof and the floor from 1879 to 1893.

Cathedral of St. Joseph

Cathedral of St. Joseph

The church has a plain and simple, three-level Baroque facade.  The third level has a wing-like, undulating wall concealing the aisle roof.  It also has segmented arch main entrance with similar segmented arch windows at the second and third level.

The cathedral interior

The cathedral interior

How to Get There: Alaminos City is located 334 kms. from Manila and 42.5 kms. northwest of Lingayen.

Church of St. Joseph (Las Pinas City)

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Church of St. Joseph (left) and the old Spanish convent (right)

While driving along the Alabang-Zapote Rd. in Las Pinas City with Jandy, I decided, on a whim, to revisit the Church of St. Joseph.   The church was built by Fr. Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen, parish priest of Las Piñas till May 15, 1832 (when he could no longer perform his duties due to severe illness) between 1792 and 1818, to replace an earlier structure of bamboo and nipa.

Facade of Church of St. Joseph

This labor of love, built with adobe stones in the “Earthquake Baroque” style was, however damaged during the 1829 (January 18, July 29 and September 30), 1863 (3 June) and 1880 (19 July) earthquakes and rebuilt again in 1883.

The statue of Fr. Diego Cera sculpted by Napoleon Abueva

The church façade and its grounds were effectively renovated, from 1971 to 1975, using the services of noted architects Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa and Ludwig Alvarez.

Historical plaque installed by the National Historical Institute (now National Historical Commission) in 1995

The major part of the restoration involved the cleaning of the exterior walls to reveal the original walls and the missing stones were replaced with similar stones to limit the use of cement.

The bell tower on the church’s left

On December 3, 1972, the new church was inaugurated.with a slightly advance middle section and a semicircular arched main entrance topped by a depressed three-centered arch. Semicircular arched windows and jambs with fluted piers flanked both. It is 34 m. (110 ft.) long, 29 m. (94 ft.) wide and has a nave width of 21 m. (70 ft.).

The church’s interior

On its left is the massive, 4-storey high square bell tower while on the right is the old Spanish convent (it now serves as an entrance).  Inside the church are stained capiz windows, narra pews, a bamboo ceiling and carriage lamps on bamboo stands.

The church’s main altar which was repositioned, during the 1971 to 1975 restoration, to face the people as required by the new Ecumenical Council guidelines

Within the church compound is a statue of Fr. Diego Cera, sculpted by National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva, and unveiled on July 27, 1995, the 200th anniversary of the Parish of St. Joseph.

Bamboo Organ

Also called the Bamboo Organ church, it houses the Bamboo Organ, a pipe organ made mostly with bamboo pipes.

Check out “Bamboo Organ“

A side altar

 

NOTE: On July 15, 2013, the Church of St. Joseph was declared as a National Historic Landmark by National Historical Institute.

The original hewn stone baptismal font, discovered buried in the courtyard of the church, was cleaned by the late notable sculptor Eduardo Castrillo who also added a brass basin sculpture as his additional contribution.

The old, hewn stone baptismal font with the brass basin sculpture added by Eduardo Castrillo

Church of St. Joseph: P. Diego Cera Ave., Brgy. Daniel Fajardo, Poblacion, Las Pinas City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 8820-5454, 8825-7190 and 8820-0795.