The Parian was the old Chinese district of Cebu; nothing much remains of this district of fine houses and shops, except for handful of old houses, like Casa Gorordo and the Jesuit Residence of 1730. The center of the Parian was the church of San Juan Bautista. The fire station at the crossroads of Sikatuna and Zulueta streets is built on the foundations of the church's convento. A small chapel nearby, dedicated to San Juan, is a mute reminder of this once sumptuous church.

The church was built by a mestizo Chinese secular priest in the 1700s. Jurisdictional conflicts with the convento of Santo Niño forced the bishop to demote the church from parish to the level of visita dependent on Santo Niño. In time, the church was abandoned and deteriorated. Its appurtenances went to other churches and to the Colegio de San Ildefonso, which inherited some of its furniture and statuary. The site of the church's sanctuary was marked by a cross before World War II.

MIDTOWN: San Carlos Museum | Fuente Osmeña | Jose Rizal Library

UPTOWN: Cebu Capitol | Seminario Major de San Carlos | Mabolo Church

Colon St., called the oldest street in the Philippines, is named after Christopher Columbus. It traces its origins to the town plan laid by Legazpi. Colon, a bit run-down now, was the site of fashionable shops, offices and movie houses.