Butuan Sightseeing Guide

Butuan City is one of the historical locations in the Philippines. It has more than a thousand years of recorded history part of which predates the colonial era. Anciently, the city is known for its balanghais, which are native boats that have been well known in Southeast Asia even before any colonizer has set foot on the islands. This Butuan sightseeing guide will walk you through the many historic and cultural sights in the city.

On the first part of our Butuan sightseeing guide, we’ll look at things and places this city is famous for. Butuan is well known for the oldest kind of boat in the Philippines known as the balangay. The use of balangays dates back to fourth and 13th century. These edge-pegged boats are unique and have no counterpart in the entire world.

The Golden Tara is a figurine of a female deity made up of nearly four pounds of 21-carat gold. It is said that a local woman from the Manobo tribe found this relic in 1917. It is a cultural symbol that grew in ancient Southeast Asia.

The Agusan River is longest navigable river in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Visitors can go on a river cruise and view the river towns. The cruise is a tour through the city’s culture, history, and people.

The next part of our Butuan sightseeing guide includes cultural attractions. First one would be a tour to different antique collections. Schedules to each collection are to be made by appointment. The collections were the result of archaeological excavations done in 1976 that showcases a lot of rare pieces in the Philippines.

The National Museum is the place to go if you want to dig into the city’s history and culture. You’ll find exhibits dating back from pre-Hispanic times and items during the colonial period. The Balangay Shrine Museum is where you’ll find the rare and peculiar boats that transported the city’s first inhabitants. You’ll get to see a flotilla of them here preserved and restored.

Mount Mayapay, our Butuan sightseeing guide’s natural attraction, is the landmark of the city standing at 700 meters. Its name, according to local lore, was given by the Madjapahit Empire in the 10th to 11th century.

The last leg of our Butuan sightseeing guide will feature the festivals celebrated in a year. January 17 marks the date of the flag hoisting commemoration. This celebrates the first time the flag of the Philippines was raised in Mindanao in 1889. March 17 marks the China Trade Mission celebration. May and August are made alive by the Balangay Festival and the Adlaw hong Butuan. These are homecoming reunion festivals when locals from all over the world come home to be with friends and family.

Other notable events include the Abayan Festival and the Tourism Consciousness Week. This Butuan sightseeing guide is a walkthrough to the different historical and cultural highlights of the city. Enjoy the sights and you’ll appreciate Butuan City’s history and the culture in the Philippines.

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