Food and Travel
FeedNFeet
Jana Veronica Cornelio : August 31 , 2013
Are you familiar with this place ? If not , then go and check this out ! Liwasang Rizal is a Filipino term for Rizal Park or much known as Luneta Park . It is an historical urban park located along Roxas Boulevard , City of Manila , Philippines , adjacent to the old walled city of Intramuros . Since the Spanish Colonial Era , the Park has been a preferred leisure spot , and is frequented on Sundays and national holidays . It is one of the major tourist attractions of the City of Manila .
Situated by Manila Bay , Luneta is also an important site in Philippine history . The execution of national hero Dr . José Rizal on December 30 , 1896 , sparked the 1898 Philippine Revolution against the Kingdom of Spain . The area was officially renamed Rizal Park in his honor , and the monument enshrining his remains serves as the symbolic focal point of the Park . The Declaration of Philippine Independence from the American was held at the Park on July 4 , 1946 as were later rallies including those of Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino in 1986 that culminated in the EDSA Revolution .
As a Filipino , I personally am very proud of this place . Everyone should have visited this site because aside from being a historical place it is also a haven for relaxation and fun in the midst of Manila and situated next to Intramuros . Rizal Park has gardens , historical markers , plazas , a grand stadium , an observatory , an open-air concert hall , an artists ’ sanctuary , a light-and-sound theatre , restaurants , food kiosks and playgrounds , and dozens of fountains .
On the northern side of the park is the Lights and Sounds of Rizal – an audio-visual and threedimensional diorama of Rizal ’ s execution , consisting of life-size sculptures by Eduardo Castrillo . The Martyrdom of Dr . Jose Rizal , a Light and Sound Sculptural Tableau is a “ living ” memorial honoring the Philippine ’ s national hero , Dr . Jose Rizal .
The tableau is an open-air theater presentation , featuring a 30-minute dramatization of the most poignant moments of Rizal ’ s final hours , through 8 monumental sculptural clusters in interplay of light and sound .
The next stop is the Orchidarium and Butterfly Pavilion , a one-hectare theme park that showcases a rich collection of orchids , bromeliads , mums , poinsettias , roses and other colorful flowers . Originally focused on orchids , the Orchidarium now hosts a variety of blooms , scents and greens . It is said that most of the beautiful orchid hybrids around the world owe their beauty to the genes of Philippine orchids , notably the rare waling-waling from the Philippine rain forest .
Rizal Park is in the heart of Manila and should also be in the heart of every Filipino reminding how our ancestors fought for our freedom and proof of our nationalism . www . feednfeet . wordpress . com