Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is a densely populated bayside city on the island of Luzon, which mixes Spanish colonial architecture with modern skyscrapers. Intramuros, a walled city in colonial times, is the heart of Old Manila. It`s home to the baroque 16th-century San Agustin Church as well as Fort Santiago, a storied citadel and former military prison.
Tourism is a vital industry in Manila, and it welcomes approximately 1 million tourists each year.[89] Major destinations include the walled city of Intramuros, the Tanghalang Pambansa at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex,[note 1] Manila Ocean Park, Binondo, Ermita, Malate, Manila Zoo, the National Museum of Fine Arts and Rizal Park.
Rizal Park, also known as Luneta Park, is the national park of the country and has an area of 58 hectares (140 acres),[97] making it the largest urban park in Asia.[98] In the Tourism Act of 2009, Rizal Park and Intramuros were designated as flagship destination to become a tourism enterprise zone.[99] A new attraction called Paseo de Manila is expected to rise in the park.[100] The park was constructed as an honor and dedication to the country's national hero José Rizal, who was executed by the Spaniards on charges of subversion. The flagpole west of the Rizal Monument is the Kilometer Zero marker for distances to the rest of the country.
Just north of Intramuros is Binondo, Manila`s Chinatown, established in the 1500s and bustling with shops and restaurants. Rizal Park is Manila`s main public space, a vast mall with fountains, gardens, and monuments honoring national heroes. The Museum of the Filipino People focuses on ethnographic and archaeological exhibits, while the Metropolitan Museum of Manila displays contemporary art. The blocky, modernist buildings of the Cultural Center of the Philippines house various performing arts organizations. Roxas Boulevard is a palm-lined waterfront promenade with hotels, restaurants, and views of Manila`s famed sunsets. The Philippines is a Southeast Asian country in the Western Pacific, comprising more than 7,000 islands. Its capital, Manila, is famous for its waterfront promenade and centuries-old Chinatown.