Vigan: A piece of Spain in Asia

The City of Vigan  is a 5th class city in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines.

It is a World Heritage Site in that it is one of the few Hispanic towns left in the Philippines

At the time of Spanish colonisation, the Chinese settlers, whose language was Southern Fujianese  referred to the area as "Bee Gan"  which means "Beautiful Shore." 

Vigan's Chinese heritage is still evident from the numerous elite Chinese creole families who come from the area, many of whom adopted Hispanic family names. 

Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia.  

Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines, from China and from Europe, resulting in a culture and townscape that have no parallel anywhere in East and South-East Asia.

 The architecture is truly reflective of its roots in both materials and design, in its fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning.

The town is located in the delta of the Abra River, off the coastal plain of the China Sea, close to the north-east tip of the island of Luzon. 

The present-day municipality divided into nine urban districts and thirty rural villages.

The building materials used in Vigan are terracotta, wood, shells, stone and lime, all obtained from the surrounding area. 

Such structures are no longer to be found in Vigan, but their influence is discernible in the much larger bahay na bato (stone house).

The exterior walls of the upper storey are enclosed by window panels of kapis shells framed in wood which can be slid back for better ventilation.

There is a helpful and friendly provincial tourist information office south west of Plaza Burgos (next to Cafe Leona) that can dispense information on Vigan and the rest of Ilocos Sur.