Heretofore we have had thinkers among us but their thoughts have died with them.

(Father Jose Apolonio Burgos)

The forceful rebellion of Filipino nationalists against the brutal Spanish rule of the Philippines for over 300 years triggered the so-called Spanish Revolution in August 1896. This epochal phenomenon had bruised a great part of Filipino social and cultural history. Yet, the nation has strived to preserve remnants of the Spanish era’s deep-rooted influences on the local language, food, customs, religion, and architecture.

The city of Vigan in Ilocos Sur, northern Philippines, demonstrates the most discernible traces of life under the Spanish regime through its rows of Spanish-Chinese styled buildings and interiors, cobblestoned roads, and horse-drawn carriages called kalesa. Even before the arrival of the Spanish colonisers, seafaring Chinese traders had already landed in the region, bartering exotic goods, such as gold and beeswax from other Asian kingdoms.

Despite covering merely 28 square kilometers, the 16th century landmark is the only existing city in Asia by scale that manifests the link of China and Europe. About 233 centuries-old churches, government buildings, plazas, and historic residences are plotted along the grid of twenty-five streets, which attract over a million visitors every year. Vigan’s remarkable history and conservation has earned its place in the UNESCO World Heritage List of Sites and Monuments in 1999 and the New Seven Wonders-Cities of the World in 2014.

Vigan is reachable by plane from the Manila capital to Laoag in Ilocos Norte in about one hour and fifteen minutes. From Laoag, bus services operate to Vigan for around a two-hour trip. Alternately, one can drive directly from Manila to Vigan in approximately 7-8 hours. Upon entering the town, one can instantly feel the presence of Spanish and Chinese ancestry. The Hispanic checkerboard street plan opens to two adjacent plazas in an L-shaped form—the longer Plaza Salcedo and the shorter Plaza Burgos.

Plaza Salcedo, with its striking monument at the centre of the green-colour reflected pond and dancing fountains at night, is named after the Spanish conqueror, Juan de Salcedo. Don Juan, as he was called, and his fifty soldiers were dispatched by King Philip II of Spain in 1572 to explore the Northern Luzon coast. His successful expedition prompted him to establish the Villa Fernandina in Vigan in honour of the King’s son, Prince Ferdinand. The square has since been the centre of the city’s daily activities, encircled by the Vigan Cathedral (1574), the Archbishop's Palace (1783), and the Ilocos Sur Capitol. However, its memory has also been tainted by the 1763 execution of the country’s brave heroine Gabriela Silang, who revolted against Spanish taxation and abuses.

On one side is a plaza constructed as an ode to the Spanish conquistador, and on the other, Plaza Burgos, as a remembrance of Father Jose P. Burgos, put to death by the Spaniards for treason. The public square is simple, marked by his statue and monument. Today, the site is used for promenades, festivals, and special events. Saint Paul Cathedral’s Bell Tower stands right beside it. Surrounding food stalls and restaurants have been set up serving Vigan’s local dishes—shrimp patty okoy, rice-based sweets bibingka, mixed vegetable stew pinakbet with deep fried pork belly bagnet, and eggplant and egg salad poqui-poqui. One can witness the making of the local empanada, pastry made of meat and vegetables, in this square.

The story of Gomburza (Father Gomez, Father Burgos and Father Zamora), the three important clergy reformists who fought for ecclesiastical provisions in protest against the inequality suffered by Filipino priests during the Spanish time, is a crucial page in Philippine history. The Burgos Museum, a satellite of the National Museum of the Ilocos Region, has preserved the ancestral home of Father Burgos, highlighted by antique wooden furniture and humble accessories from yesteryears.

Like most ancient residences in the city that resemble European interiors, large living rooms are equipped with colonial-styled settees and corner seating areas next to the windows with eaves called volada, which shield both heat and rain. High ceilings for ventilation also come with large ceiling fans. Wooden canopied beds are accompanied by chests, European-styled armoires, and portable toilets, including some fusion of Chinese drawers. Established in 1788, the building with its creaking floor planks and plain white walls seems to echo the whispers and arguments exchanged between the Spanish officials and native priests.

Not to be missed as well is the birthplace of the country’s former president, Elpidio Quirino, a Vigan native, who served from 1948 to 1953. Part of the enormous estate consists of the Old Carcel provincial jail, active from 1657, and commanded by Quirino’s father, the jail warden. Quirino was born in his father’s upper apartment in 1890. Donated finally to the town government in 2014, the turned museum houses impressive paintings by Esteban Pichay Villanueva, documenting the atrocities conducted by the Spaniards towards native Filipinos, from rope hanging to body mutilation. Visitors can also marvel at the displays of local pottery, famous Ilocos abel textiles, and the indigenous wine basi concocted in fermented sugarcane juice.

Of course, a trip to Vigan would not be complete without a stroll along the most significant attraction, Calle Crisologo. Owing its name to the illustrious Ilocos poet, writer, and playwright Governor Marcelino Crisologo, the 500-metre long festive street housed wealthy families in the 17th to 19th centuries who benefited financially from the galleon trade in 1565 to 1918. Here, the best of Vigan architecture glows with remains of bricks, hardwood, baked clay, limestone for mortar and plaster, and decorative kapis coconut shelled window frames. Art Nouveau-styled tungsten lamps hang against walls and filter a romantic light at night.

Some façades reveal ornamental wrought iron casings on the French door-styled windows or balustrades of balconies. Mixed Chinese, Spanish, and Ilocos architectural treatment make this one of the most beautiful neighbourhoods in the Philippines. Both Chinese merchants and illustrious locals or mestizo-mixed families of Filipino and Spanish and Chinese origin erected their businesses on the ground floor and living quarters on the second floor. The concept endures, with present souvenir shops, ice cream parlours, cafés, and restaurants aligned along the street.

For accommodation, the unique museum hotel, Hotel Luna, is one of the city’s treasured gems. Dating back to 1882, the four-storey property resonates with the century-themed ambience decorated with antique furnishings. An impressive collection of artworks from renowned Filipino artists like Ben Cabrera, Fernando Amorsolo, and Juan Luna abounds. The spacious rooftop boasts a stunning 360-degree panorama of Vigan City while visitors unwind over drinks at sunset.

One of the unique offers of charming Vigan is the sight of horse-pulled carriages, which had been the mode of transportation at that time. Listen to the coachman’s stories about prominent families and dramatic episodes that collared Vigan’s villages while you enjoy a leisurely ride among the antiquated alleys filled with nostalgia of the country’s salient roots.

There is almost an air of inevitable irony that sweeps across the town when one reflects on the cruelty of the colonisers whose scars have painted the city. Yet, the consistent resilience of the community has learned to sway with both the past injustices and richness of family and religious traditions, food, songs, and dances that have shaped the persona of the Filipino today.