Ma-Cho Pagoda

San Juan (La Union)


The Ma-Cho is one of the most striking Chinese temples in Luzon. A loud collision of Taoism and Chinese Catholicism (think bright-red imperial Chinese decor mixed with the iconography of a Latin American church and you get the idea), the pagoda sits atop a hill just north of San Fernando.

The original image of the Virgin of Caysasay, the patron of San Fernando’s Filipino- Chinese community, is brought to the temple from Taal, Batangas, in the second week of September as part of the week-long activities in celebration of the Feast of the Virgin (a replica is on display for the rest of the year).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby San Juan (La Union) attractions

1. Tangadan Falls

5.98 MILES

A popular day trip when the surf is flat, Tangadan falls flows over pancake rock formations into a refreshing blue pool. To get there, take a tricycle…

2. BenCab Museum

21.12 MILES

This superb museum dedicated to the life, times and work of artist Benedicto Reyes Cabrera (BenCab) is as fascinating as the man himself. The gallery is a…

3. Tam-awan Village

21.61 MILES

Nine traditional Ifugao homes and two Kalinga huts were taken apart then reassembled on the side of a hill at this artists colony. Spending the night in…

4. Lourdes Grotto

22.68 MILES

Established by the Spanish Jesuits in 1907, the Lourdes Grotto sits at the top of 252 steps in the hilly western part of town. From the top, there’s a…

5. St Louis University Museum

23.22 MILES

This campus museum is run by Isekias 'Ike' Picpican, one of the country’s foremost authorities on the history and culture of the Cordillera people. You…

6. Night Market

23.35 MILES

Didn't realise Baguio was so cold? The Night Market is a great place to find a cheap used hoodie or a raincoat.

7. Baguio Mountain Provinces Museum

23.72 MILES

This museum is a great introduction to the Igorot ('mountain people') of the Cordillera and the harmful 'savage highlander'/'cultured lowlander' divide,…

8. Camp John Hay

24.58 MILES

A Japanese internment camp for Allied prisoners of war in WWII, and then a US military rest-and-recreation facility, 246-hectare Camp John Hay has been…