BAHAY TSINOY, museum of Chinese in Philippine Life

Bahay Tsinoy, museum of Chinese in Philippine life is a repository of the historical and cultural legacy of the Chinese in all aspects of Philippine life. Not only does the museum restore and record the Philippine historical past found in Chinese records and artifacts, but it also features the unique blending of Filipino and Chinese cultures and the intertwining destinies of the two races throughout history. It fully documents how the Chinese started out their lives in these islands, how they prospered, how they suffered, and how the current crop of Tsinoys came to be. It pays tribute to the roles of the Chinese-Filipinos—or Tsinoys—in Philippine history.

CHINBEN SEE MEMORIAL LIBRARY

A specialized library on the ethnic Chinese in the Philippines and other parts of the world, the library not only has books, journals and magazines, and other research materials, it also has a photo and document archive and a microfilm section. The library was made possible by persons who have contributed their effort, time, and money for us to have a rare collection that helps in preserving our cultural heritage.

PUBLICATIONS

Through the years we have acted as bridges — between cultures and between ages.

Since 1988, Tulay Fortnightly 橋 has documented the issues and concerns affecting the Tsinoy community, creating awareness among the mainstream about the differences and similarities among our peoples. At the same time, it features Philippine concerns that we firmly believe the Tsinoy community should be active in –whether in just actively forming an educated opinion about an issue or all the way to being activity involved in solving problems afflicting our nation. The masthead of Tulay, a fortnightly Chinese-Filipino digest, bears the following words: “A bridge of understanding between two cultures; a bridge of tolerance between two ages.”

Yong Hap 融合 on the other hand, bridges generations. For the older generation Tsinoys, this is an eye opener. They become aware of what the Filipino people are concerned about. Up to a point, Yong Hap also covers what the younger generation is concerned about, hence creating understanding with the community members themselves. These two publications are mainly products of volunteer work — our writers are mostly young Tsinoys who expend effort and energy in keeping the publications thriving.

Kaisa also regularly publishes books on the Chinese in the Philippines. Email us to get a complete list of our publications.