Paco

Along Padre Faura Street to the right east is Paco Park, laid out in 1966 on the site of a cemetery established during a cholera epidemic in 1820 and closed in 1912. Its layout is based on two concentric circles. The Chapel of St. Pancratius, on an oval ground plan, contains the remains of Governor-General Ramon Solano y Lladeral, who died in 1860, allegedly by poison. It is frequently used for marriages. Jose Rizal was buried in Paco Cemetery in December 1896, but his gravestone bore only his initials in reverse order, R.P.J. to prevent it from being recognised. The place is now marked by a white cross. His remains were removed in 1898 to the family property at Tondo, and in 1913 were transferred to their final resting-place in Rizal Park. Beyond Paco Park is a Chinese Taoist temple, Paco Hong Giam, a colourful structure with its bright red bricks, dragons and Chinese-style decoration.