Manila Chinese Cemetery

The Chinese Cemetery was established in the 1850s because Chinese residents, not being Catholic, could not be buried in Manila's Catholic cemeteries, and what grew there over the following century is unlike any other burial ground in the country: laid out on a street grid, with family mausoleums built as small houses - some with air conditioning, plumbing, kitchens, letterboxes and chandeliers, in styles running from Chinese temple through art deco to postmodern - so that relatives could stay with their dead during visits and at Qingming. It has been called a city for the dead with some justification. Among the graves is the plot where José Rizal's remains were held before their transfer, and a memorial to the Chinese-Filipino resistance of the Second World War. Guided tours run and are worth taking: the cemetery is large, the layout is confusing, and the histories attached to particular families are the point.

What you actually see

• The mausoleum streets - family tombs built as houses.
• The architectural range - temple styles through deco to modern.
• The Rizal plot - where his remains were held before transfer.
• The war memorial - to the Chinese-Filipino resistance.

When to go

Mornings for light and cooler walking. Qingming in early April brings families in large numbers and is the most active time. It is quiet on ordinary weekdays.

Honest expectations

It is a working cemetery - families visit, and photography of mourners is inappropriate. The area around it is rough in places; a guided tour is the sensible way in. Watch belongings.

Nearby

Binondo and Chinatown are south; the Quiapo district and Manila's centre are close.