Diorama of a Parián scene

This diorama depicts everyday life in the Parián, a commercial and residential area in Manila built to house “Sangley” (Chinese) merchants in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was made by Angelito Baldemor, a Filipino artist from Paete, a renowned woodcarving town to the southeast of Manila.During Spanish rule the Parián functioned as a central marketplace where Chinese merchants traded valuable items such as silk, textiles, porcelain, spices, and food products. Artisans provided skilled services such as shipbuilding and carpentry. Marketplaces like this were vital to the colonial economy, especially during the period of the galleon trade, when Manila served as a major port linking the Philippines with trade routes in the Americas.

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