Information 6: The Royal City of Manila in the early days of Spanish rule
Manila, the colonial capital of the Spanish Philippine Islands, known as Little Luzon by Chinese expatriates, was still a very young city in 1603. However, according to the descriptions of many Spanish authors who experienced its development, many majestic and beautiful buildings rose from the city.
The Spanish architecture and the prosperous Balian Market outside the city have made this colonial city famous in the Far East, and because the Spanish often conquered with less and conquered more, all the neighboring Southeast Asian kingdoms were called "Casti."
The name "Riya" evokes a sense of awe.
Although the Spanish Royal City of Manila was not very large, its city walls and forts facing Manila Bay and the Pasig River were built very tall, wide and strong. Perhaps they were designed with the intention of resisting the European enemies that were about to follow them.
—Naval gun attacks from the Netherlands, Britain, etc.
There are many Western-style churches, monasteries, municipal buildings and beautiful brick and stone houses in the city, as well as wooden houses covered with thatch and palm leaves for slaves, stilted bamboo buildings, and criss-crossing between these many buildings.
Streets, squares, etc., show its wealth, sophistication, and the strangeness of a Western city in an Eastern colony.
feature.
Here, you can see patrolling Spanish soldiers and black-robed missionaries walking through the city after morning prayers. The wealthy Spanish residents have groups of black men and women and local slaves. They usually have to get up earlier than their masters who like to sleep in and do busy work.
Taking care of everything for the host's life this day.
However, in this Spanish city in the Far East, what is perhaps even more impressive is the number of people waiting for the city gate to open every day, waiting for the city gate to open, and the many physiological people pouring into the city from outside the city, such as the Balian Silk Market and nearby areas.
Businessmen, vendors, fishermen, tailors, shoemakers, gold and silver jewelry makers, barbers, bakers, construction workers, porters and other people from various professions. These people are dressed in different clothes and pay attention to etiquette. They carry various goods and
After working tools and materials enter the city, they usually rush to their work place quickly. In a blink of an eye, their voices and less accurate Spanish and more accurate Tagalog can be heard everywhere in Manila.
Yelling and shouting.
After the construction workers arrived at the construction site, they immediately started building fortifications, houses, churches, etc. for the Spaniards. The masons could usually build beautiful Western-style houses as required without the Spaniards spending any effort.
Vendors opened their doors to sell in shops rented from Spanish residents, or did business in designated markets, or carried carts and peddled along the streets.
People engaged in personal service were often called into Spanish homes to tailor clothes for them, make shoes according to size, cut hair and shave, mend things, give things here and there, and provide various services to the Spaniards in order to earn money.
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The Spanish residents of Manila did not even have to lift a foot to get all the goods and good services they needed for daily life from the physiological people; even the soldiers, who were often short of money, no longer had to shamelessly beg from the rich.
Asking for help, they could always get bread and other necessities on credit from merchants and vendors who were willing to accommodate, or rather fear them. For the Spaniards, the richness of daily necessities and the strange oriental charm of Manila were the key to their rule.
Europe, America and any other place cannot enjoy it. No wonder many people came to this distant colony where little gold and silver were found, but they stayed there for 20 or 30 years and refused to leave.
When the bells of Manila Cathedral rang, many churches and monasteries outside the city also rang bells to urge people to attend mass. At this time, this Spanish city in the Far East showed a strong religious spirit.
The atmosphere seems to emphasize its strong desire to revive the orthodox Roman Catholic Church in the East, which is declining in Europe.