The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival

     Chinese  indeed has alot of traditions, cultures and festivals.   Their festivals are truly some of the asian's finest and are considered as the most intricate and colorful.  Alot of the festivals are celebrated yearly around the world since the chinese people are almost every where in almost all nations. You can actually see their majestic temples either Buddhist or Taoist but the festivals are usually celebrated by the members  of the taoist sector.
     Among the major chinese festivals that are celebrated yearly are the Chinese new year, Chinese lantern festival, Qing ming festival,  Moon cake festival,  Double seven festival and the Dragon Boat Festival. 

     I was able to witness and participate to this unique 'dragon boat festival. '  Chinese are known to be generous to their non-chinese friends and they are proud  to share their cultures with them.  I have been a family friend of the Tan family who actually owns a chinese temple here in our place. I was invited so many times to attend their yearly festivals and this is the only one and the first time that I have accepted.
     The dragon boat festival are celebrated in two ways,  the dragon boat race by sea and the dragon boat procession by land that is usually around and within the chinese temple complex. It was the dragon boat festival procession that I participated and every one was asked to wear red.  It was held last June 18, 2018.

     The dragon boat festival is also known as 'Duanwu festivals' Or 'Zhongxiao festival' among the chinese people. This is to commemorate the 'fealty' ( loyalty of social class to which Confucius' students belong)  and 'Fibial piety' ( virtue or respect for one's parents, elderly and ancestors.

     The dates of celebrating the dragon boat festival varies yearly because the chinese calendar comes in ' lunisolar ' so the dates may change on the Gregorian calendar.  It is every 5th day of the 5th month on the traditional  chinese calendar.


History and background:

-Photo courtesy of china travel-

     The festival was long marked as a cultural holiday in China,  however,  it wasn't  until 2008 that the dragon boat festival  was recognized  as a traditional and statutory public holiday  not only in china but also to other chinese communities who live in other countries.

-Photo courtesy of Pixels-

      The festival commemorates the life and death of the famous chinese scholar 'Qu Yuan' who was a loyal minister of the emperor of china in the 3rd century BCE.   Qu Yuan was accused of conspiracy by his antagonists, the court officials that at the same time envied him.   He was put into exile by the emperor.
     During his exile, Qu Yuan composed many poems to express his frustrations and anger towards his emperor and the sovereign people.
     Qu Yuan drowned himself by attaching heavy rock to his chest and jumping into the Miluo river in 278 BCE at the age of 61.  The people of chu tried to save him believing he was an honorable man.  They searched desperately in their boats looking for him but was not able to find him.
     So every year, the dragon boat festival is celebrated to commemorate  the attempt to rescue the great scholar and as time went on the local people began throwing sacrificial cooked rice into the river for Qu Yuan.   However,  the tradition  of wrapping the rice in bamboo leaves to make 'zang zi' began the following year; and as decades went by the boat were made into dragon boats and the tradition became a dragon boat race  and this was carried even on land by procession of dragon boat carriage around and within the chinese temple.


Symbols:

-Photo courtesy of Pixels-

      As the chinese people carried out this tradition,  they redesigned the boats into dragon boats.  Dragons are not considered as creatures of destruction or terror but are believed to be deities that bring fortunes and prosperity.

The chinese temple complex

The Dragon boats and in between is a rice granary symbolizing
ziang zi - the sacrificial rice for Qu Yuang

 

The procession of the dragon boat

The procession of the dragon boat with in the temple complex

The procession of the dragon boat outside the temple complex

Part of the complex where the procession concludes 

     The dragon festival that I participated lasted for two hours.   The procession was lead by a taoist priest followed by men carrying the dragon boat carriage and behind the carriage are also chosen men carrying bowls of coins and candies to be thrown by the presiding priest along the track as a replacement for Zang zi.
     Expectators are free to get coins and candies. Children and even elderly were carrying bags to place the collected candies and coins. Infact my pocket were filled with coins and candies.  It is said that the candies can be eaten but the coins should be kept and not to be used for trade.  The chinese belived that the coins collected can bring prosperity if kept.

     During the procession, participants must carry a red scented stick along the way and to be placed into the rice granary after each rotation and should carry another one to the next rotation.  The dragon boat is carried all through out procession around and with in the temple complex for ten times and concludes at the main complex.   The event is usually accompanied by a ceremonial play and loud music that can heard all through out the temple complex.  The last part of the event is usually the release of the caged birds which symbolises the freedom of Qu Yuang that was supposed to be given.

     I'm  glad that I was able to witness this colorful festival.  This is something that the chinese communities are very proud to show and share to other people specially to their friends.  It is very interesting to know more about the chinese cultures - something that the world need to see.

Sources:

www.timeanddate.com >the dragon boat festival
www.chinatravel.com> the dragon boat festival


 




   

The Nakpil-Bautista Historical House: Home of the Katipuneros

     Philippines has alot of historical landmarks that remind people now a days of the events that took place from the time of the spanish era of the early 14th century to the period of japanese occupation during and thw WW2.   They are all over the country and Manila alone has numerous historical  sites and each one of them speaks it's  own story telling the people what our heroes had gone through just to earn the freedom.
     These historical places are usually visited not only for their historical background but also to their divine and pristine  beauties.
     The city of Manila has the Rizal park ( formerly known as bagong barrio during the spanish era),  The hunted Fort Santiogo,  The old walled city of Intramuros,  the home of the black Nazarene Quiapo church,  the enormous Manila Cathedral, the Del Monte bridge of San Juan and the crowded china town of Binondo. These are some of some of the popular tourist spots in Manila for so many years. Just recently, there was another site that was declared as a historical landmark which will definitely add to the list of Manila's popular tourist destinations and that is the "Nakpil-Bautista house."

     In the heart of Manila, the district of Quiapo is the location of the Nakpil-Bautista house.  On August 25, 2011, it was declared as a hisrorical landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP). It ia now a museum  that features items of the katipuneros and artworks made by the Nakpil family.
     Katipuneros are revolutionary soldiers/infantry who fought for the Philippine independence against the spanish and americans  and in the Nakpil-Bautista house lived some of the great contributors and leaders of katipuneros.   Dr. Ariston Bautista,  Doctor of Medicine and a member of the propaganda movement, Gregoria De Jesus,  the lakambini of Katipuneros and the widow revolutionary supreme leader Andres Bonifacio who later on became a wife of Julio Nakpil and Julio Nakpil,  a composer and the vice supreme leader of Andress Bonifacio.

(Left) Dr. Ariston Bautista (Upper right) Julio Nakpil
(Lower right)  Grogoria De Jesus
Photo courtesy of Bahay Nakpil-Bautista museum 

History and background

THE HOUSE OF NAKPIL-BAUTISTA

Was built under the management of Ariston Bautista Lin(1863-1928) and her wife, Petrona Nakpil by the well known architect, Arcado Arellano in 1914. Dr. Bautista was a doctor of medicine,  philanthropist and inventor cholera vacine.  Here also lived Julio Nakpil (1877-1960), a revolutionarist and composer of the hymns of katipunan.  His wife,  Gregoria De Jesus(1876-1943), was the lakambini of katipunan and a widow of Andres Bonifacio.  Their son,  Juan Nakpil(1899-1980) and a cousin, Angel (1914-1979) were well known archtect.  The house was also a meeting place of silver smith and was a famous jewelry shop because of the intricate designs of the jewelries.

The Nakpil-Bautista house in early 1900s
Photo courtesy of Bahay Nakpil-Bautista museum

The Nakpil-Bautista house decorated for a festival in the 1930s
Photo courtesy of Bahay Nakpil-Bautista museum being provided as a post card upon admission to the museum.

    The house resembles 1900's Viennese architecture, it was believed that the house had it's inspiration from vienna secession making it unique.  One can really tell that this house was a first class built and typifies a lavish urban Filipino style that stands out during those times.  The house still has it's  original wooden frame and sliding windows.  It has 2 stories with wood and stones as primary construction materials.

Street view:

The original wooden door as the main entrance

Ground floor:

The Zaguan - Parking area for caleza(carriage)

The receiving area

Antesala (anteliving room) 

Room dedicated to Julio Nakpil
Here you can see some of compositions and letters.
Photocopy of letters of Andres Bonifacio are also a part of the exhibits 

Wooden stairway to the second floor

Second Floor:

The Hallway or Caida

The main living room

This historical long wooden chair said to be where Jose Rizal and
 Andres Bonifacio discussed and organized the "La liga filipina".

The main attraction of the main living room is this portrait.
It's only a replica because the original canvas is worth
millions of dollars and is now placed in the Philippine
National Museum of fine arts

Room dedicated to Gregoria De Jesus

The dining room

The room dedicated to Katipuneros showing the different
Katipunero flags of different provinces. 

Auction room and this was also the Nakpil's Jewelry shop

The bedroom of Julio and Gregoria

Room dedicated to Ariston Bautista Lin

The Azotea ( Terrace) 

      Now this historical house is being managed by Julio Nakpil and Gregoria De Jesus great grand son,  Dominic Faustino.
     The Nakpil-Bautista house is made opened for people to see and cherish the legacies left behind by the Katipuneros who fought for the Filipino people and for the independence of the country.

     The house can also be used for exhibits of young artists and spacious rooms can be leased for symposium, meetings and seminars.

Address:

432 A.  Bautista st.,
(formerly Barbosa st.)
Quiapo, Manila
Philippines


Museum Hours:

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
From 9:30 am to 4:30pm
Official holidays: CLOSED

For inquiries and reservations,
Look for Ms. Bobbi Nakpil Santos-Viola
President of Bahay Nakpil-Bautista Foundation, Inc.
(632)731 9305
(63)917 851 7455

Sources:

bahaynakpil.org
lonelytraveler.com
iadmonkeyhostels.com
news.abs-cbn.com>bahaynakpil

Bulul: The Ifugao's Rice Granary God; The Myth of Indigenous Deity

     I have been to many museums in the Philippines and through all of my visits, I couldn't  help to notice what they have in common.  they usually have exhibit of wooden  human shape figure called the 'Bulul.'  I have seen alot of them in three national museums in Manila specialy in the museum of anthropology, Baguio museum and in BenCab museum.   I have one that was given as a token of friendship.

The Bulol wall in BenCab museum

A pair of bulols mounted on top of the rice granary
- The Philippine National Museum of Anthropology -

     I was so curious about what this bulol is all about and it's  origin.  My travel to Banaue made me learned and realized that it plays an important part of culture and mythology of the indigenous people of Ifugao called the 'Igorots.'

A native of Ifugao and I

     The Bulol is also known as 'Tinagtaggu'- The ifugao rice god.  It is curved human figure or relic which is believed to have some sort of anito ( spirit ) dwells in it brought by mumbaki ( shaman) using a form of ritual.  The ritual involved bathing the finished curved bulul in the wild boar's blood accompanied by some sort of chanting to summon the anito to dwell in it.   Bulol was highly worshiped by the igorots and they would make offering of wine and rice cakes beliveving that it would bring properity and good harvest of rice in return.  Bulols are usually kept in the house or granary and were usually come in pairs. 

     Bulol indeed has become the symbol of prosperity  and fertility among the ifugao people.  According to some elderly , the bulol should be treated with care and respect to avoid the spirit of the ancestors bringing misfortune and sickness.  This reminded me about a documentary program about how a bulol caused a chain of paranormal events to a well known tv host Ms. Cory Quirino. 

     The bulul is one of the favorite items of antigue collectors.  Alot usually go to Banaue to purchase bululs that are hundreds of years old or even thousands believing to bring luck but one had a different story to tell.   

     Ramon Tapales, a well known composer and conductor who was a former husband of Ms. Cory Quirino had a hobby of collecting old and primitive relics.  He had predilection of collecting antique bulols.  He even transformed their house into a museums of some sorts.  He was able to purchase a very old bulol about a century year old.  Instead of bringing prosperity into their home,  it brought nighrmare to her wife Ms. Quirino.  The well,  known Philippine TV host will not forget the terrible experience she had after acquiring the antique relic. 

     

     According to her, the night after  the bulol was brought into her house by Ramon,  she was awakened by heavy sounds of foot steps in the living room. She tried to wake up her husband but was too sleepy to get up and just asked her to go back to sleep.  She went down to investigate but she found no one.  From then she continued to hear trampping of steps every night.  Things had escalated that she began seeing shadowy figures and even her maids started seeing wierd things and went on.   

     Things got worse when she heard ghastling voice.   "This is my domain you don't belong here. Get out. "  These were the words came from the bulol.   She tried to convince Ramon Patales to get rid of the bulol but he just refused to believe. 

     She became more prettified as the unexplainable  things kept on occurring as days went on.   

     One day she finally decided to seek help from a paranormal expert named Jaime Licuaco.   Mr.  Licuaco approached the  bulol. As he probed it, he suddenly felt a strong jolt.  He was convinced that the piece of antique  was heavily  cursed and needed to be disposed.  Mr.  Tapales couldn't  get rid of it because it was very expensive 

     Gradually, Cory began to lose weight and sick.  The doctors were puzzled of her condition.  They couldn't  identify the cause of it despite of advance diagnostic measures.

     Because of her worsening condition, Ramon Tapales decided to remove the bulol out of their house.  Since then, Cory began to gain weight and recovered.

     According to the elders of Ifugao tribe. The bulols that were originally hand crafted by their ancestors were only exclusive to their tribe and must not be sold.  When Ramon Tapales bought the antique bulol,  it was removed from it's  territory making the spirit in it upset causing a chain of paranormal events to Ms.  Cory Quirino.  This was featured in a special TV  documentary program 

    Well,  after learning this,  I began to think if I should still keep the bulol that I've been keeping 

    During the pre-hispanic era,  the ifugao people made bulol with a strange ritual to incorporate anito and made into god to be worshiped to bring good harvest.  Now adays,  the people of ifugao still manufacture bulols for tourist trade and alot are being sold particularly in Baguio city and Banaue as souvenir items.  You can buy one with out the worry having anito dwells in it. According  to a former ifugao mumbaki, the last last traditional rituals of making bulol held in 1960s. 

     So if you decide to get one, buy the newly made and not the antique ones. 

     

 Sources:

www.metmuseum.org

thefinestwriter  > bulul

opinion.inquirer.net >bulul

news.abs-cbn.com >bulul

    

     

The Banaue Rice Terraces Experience

     The Banaue rice terraces is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the northern mountain provinces of the Philippines next to Baguio city.  I have heard alot of cool stuffs about it and seen amazing photos of it since when I was a kid.  I've always wanted to visit the place and hike from one rice terrace to another and meet the indigenous people there.  I had always told my self as a traveler, I would go to see the amazing place.
     The Banaue rice terraces has always been famous and it was even made popular by the movie 'Infinity war'   when it was featured in one of the movie clips with Thanos in it.  Watching the movie gave me the eagerness to go  and explore the famous rice terraces and I did.  A good old travel buddy came and tagged along.

     The Banaue rice terraces as we all known were curved into Cordillera mountains of Ifugao in the northern Philippines by ancestors of indigenous tribe.  Some would prefer to them as the "eight wonder of the world."
     It is said that they are 2000 years old according to a historian, Otley Beyer.  They were believed to be curved with bare hands with minimal tools and they have a very systematized form of irrigation from the rain forest above the terraces.

     The Rice terraces of Banaue were inscribed on UNESCO world heritage list in 1995, the first ever property to be included in the cultural landscape category as the world heritage.

     They are located in Nueva Vizcaya-Ifugao-Mountain province rd. Ifugao.   It was a 9 hour travel from Manila and if you're from Baguio city, it's  a 5 hour travel.  I considered this to be as one of the longest travels by land so far.

     We arrived there around 1:30AM.  There's  alot of Hotels and transient houses to consider but if you are looking for an ideal luxurious place to stay, The Banaue Hotel and youth Hostel is highly recommended.  They offer a reasonable rates of Php 2,300 / day.  That's were we stayed.

     Though  I was tired from long hours of travel, I managed to take a peek of the terraces by the hotel's balcony but all I saw were dismal and dark gloomy figures of tall mountains  with ghastly sound of the wind and chirping insects that gave an eerie feeling during the night.  The next morning,  I went out again by the balcony and to my surprise, the rice terraces gave a stunning view that were truly more than meets the eye.  I woke up my friend from deep slumber for him to witness the outstanding site.

View of the Batad rice terraces from the Banaue hotel

     As was planned, we decided to go out and trek the terraces but we had doubt if we could explore them all in just one day.  Aside from the Banaue rice terraces, there were other terraces as well and each one of them was enormous. There is the Batad rice terraces, the Mayoyao rice terraces,  Happao rice terraces of Hugduan,  Kiangan rice terraces, Cambulo village rice terraces and the Pula village rice terraces.  It is recommended  to have at least three days of vacation to explore these humongous terraces.

The Happao rice terraces of Hugduan

     The nearest was the Happao rice terraces of Hugduan municipality.  That's where we proceeded first.   The municipality requires registration for daily record purposes with an environmental fee of Php 50.00. They also require you to have a tour guide for direction and safety purposes with a fee of php 500.  Exploring the vast terraces of Happao is very obscured and remote and some of the paths are the actual  rice embankments that are too narrow and highly elevated so having a tour guide is appropriate.

Narrow path towards the Happao rice terraces
"That's our friendly tour guide".

     As we explored the happao rice terraces,  we were mesmerized by the rice terraces' pristine beauty.  The green rice fields and the golden grains of rice were truly nature's wonders.  All you could see were green and golden brown colors in a very wide area  where ever you look around that ascended up to the mountains.

      Another amazing feature was the irrigation comming from the water stream of the rain forest above.  It was hard to believe that the ancient tribes created routes of channel for the water to be distributed evenly to all the rice terraces considering it was vast.

Stone walls as rice embankments

     Happao rice terraces were unique compared to the rest of the rice terraces. They're  the only one that have embankments that are made of stone walls while the rest are made of clay.

      Because they are thousands of years old,  some of the terraces suffer a great damage  brought about by erotion.   These damages are very apparent and repair comes in a great cost but the local government  units are carrying a great mitigating measures to avoid occurrences of possible greater damages.

     It took us two hours of treking just to explore only 1/3 of the Happao rice terraces.  We could not explore the other rice terraces due to lack of time.

The Viewpoint 

With a Native of Banaue

     The viewpoint was our next destination. It was a 20 minute travel by tricycle from Hugduan municipality. The were four view spots to consider but the Main view point is the most perfect on top of a plateau to see the Banaue rice terraces in a much larger and deeper magnitude.  The indigenous people in their colorful native attires makes an additional attraction to the viewpoint area.

     Aside from the wonderful rice terraces, there are other places of interest to enjoy.  You can go to Banaue museum,  Hiwang native village view deck,  Poitan village, Guihab natural pool,  Bangaan village,  Cambulo village and the Banaue ethnic village and Pine resort.

     Well,  it wasn't a complete experience that I had at the Banaue rice terraces.  We were not able to explore  other terraces and other places  of interest.  I will surely go back to explore more. Even so,  I had a wonderful time of my life and truly worth it.

      To go to Banaue, you can take bus at Sampaloc and cubao  terminals. Schedule of departures is every 8:00PM with a fare ranges  from Php 480.00 to Php 530.00.

Sources:

www.budgettravel.com
www.britannica.com
www.tripadvisor.com
www.banaueterraces.com
whc.unesco.org


Reservation Office: 

-Manila-
Marketing and Sales Dep't
7/F TIEZA bldg.,  142
Amorsolo st.,  Legazpi
Village, Makati City
Tel no 02 5513945

-Banaue-
Banaue Hotel and Youth Hostel
Banaue,  Ifugao
Email: pta_banauehotel@yahoo.com