Rizal Park

Rizal Park - from Taft avenue to Roxas Blvd. is a major exprience. It's easy to spend 3 hours or more here. If you start at the Taft Ave. end you start walking through the park passing the national musseum and the departement of tourism and right there in between both of them is the big statue of Lapu Lapu who was Datu of Mindano. He lived aprox. 1441 - 1547 and was the first who fought back against the spanish colonists, and acctually managed to defend his territory. Hence is he today the biggest symbol of independence in the country.

Continueing down the park you will on your left hand side find a freespace for scultpural art and and at the Roxas end you will find the Rizal Monument. The monument which has been set up in memory of Dr. Jose Rizal who was one of the first to talk about independece from the spaniards was executed but gunshots in his back in 1896 charged with conspiracy against Spain. An event that started the Philippines revolution. His monument is guarded 24/7 by two armed military guards.

Next to the monument is a small but very well made exhibition placed on his acctuall execution site with bronze statues telling the story before and dureing his execution. Adm. Php 10.

Also dont miss the Chinese Garden next to the execution site - it's an incredible change to get calmness and relax in the middle of a very bussy metropolis.

Rizal park is a small park lying in the Center of Malate in Manila. You can stroll down the park from Roxas Blvd.. Some of the sights:

A pool that is built up like a map over the philippines. With Water and mountains. Note that they only fill it up during something important like holidays and such,but its a nice view even without water.

Various gardens of different styles where you have to may a small entrance.
A little park of statues where you can see the national hero in the moment when he got shot by the spanish people.

This is lying in walking distance from Intramuros in the direction of Manila Hotel so its nice to combine Intramuros and Rizal Park.