Description of the attraction
Binondo Church, also known as the Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, is located in Manila's Chinatown at the western end of Ongpin Street. The church was founded by Dominican monks in 1596 to convert Chinese immigrants to Christianity. The original church building was destroyed by the British in 1762 during their short occupation of Manila. The current granite church was built on the same site in 1852. Its main attraction is the octagonal bell tower, which evokes thoughts of the Chinese origin of the parishioners. By the way, this is the only part of the building that has come down to us since the 16th century.
The Binondo Church was severely damaged during the Second World War, but fortunately the western façade and the famous bell tower remained intact. The restoration of the church took place in three stages and was completed only in 1984. A three-story parish center and a monastery were added to the building. The gilded marble altar partitions depict the facade of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
The church bears the name of the altar boy Lorenzo Ruiz, who was born to a Chinese father and a Filipina mother. He studied in this church, then went on a mission to Japan, where he was executed for refusing to renounce his faith. Lorenzo Ruiz became the first Filipino saint to be canonized by the Catholic Church in 1987. In front of the building of the basilica there is a huge statue of the holy great martyr. Despite numerous damages from earthquakes, typhoons and hostilities, the Binondo church still retains its baroque style.
