Land of the Morning

The Philippines has been at the confluence of diverse cultural influences, which includes early Austronesian migrants, Chinese traders, Hindu-Buddhist and Muslim Southeast Asians, as well as Spanish colonisers and the Roman Catholic Church. The interaction of these influences has produced styles of art and architecture which are unique in Southeast Asia and have profoundly affected the development of Filipino culture and identity. It is at the junction of these various cultures that we find both what is typically Southeast Asian about the Philippines and what makes it unique.