Chinese Cemetery South Gate

The Chinese have a tradition of honoring and venerating their deceased relatives and ancestors. Hence they build elaborate resting places for the dead. Every All Saints Day the Chinese gather in this cemetry in a festive mood with lots of food, huge candles, paper money to be burned and also incense. And during the so called First Quarter Storm, radical students showed up one All Saints Day to protest against excesses of these mausoleums. There was also the threat of kidnapping for ransom. As a result the Chinese stopped gathering during All Saints Day and instead they went on different days. Nowadays, some have transferred to the columbarium. Some burial places abandoned. Typically the tombstones depicts the name of deceased, date of death, names of spouse and children.

Poorly maintained surroundings, a lot of trash, untrimmed grasses. Very far from how the place was maintained decades ago.

Most people used the South Gate in Felix Huertas to enter the Manila Chinese Cemetery during All Saints Day. One reason is that there are available parking areas in nearby streets. You can walk to this gate from LRT Blumentritt stationn .

A place to realize that the rich occupy a large land even when they die