Worshipping two religions and a local legend
- Yuchengco Street X Ongpin Street, Binondo
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Shrine of two religions
Along Ongpin St. you find a small street shrine built to worship St Cristo de Longos, a legend of Binondo dating back to the 16th century. It tells of a mute Chinese who drew water from a well, only to find a charred image of Christ on the cross. The parish priest paired the image with a crucifix and is now displayed near the Binondo Church. This popular street shrine was built with the cross encased inside a gold container. Chinese locals preserve the traditional way of worshipping with respect to adopting a new religion - Catholic Buddhism - worshipping the Catholic cross with Buddhist incense.
A Binondo Legend
Prior to the Spanish colonisation, the locals in Binondo were predominantly Buddhists. The Spaniards made an effort to convert the Filipinos into Catholics by introducing the cross. They spread the word that Santo Cristo de Longos protected the citizens from fire.