Manila district Kuiapo considered old downtown, where you can buy cheap stuff at very low prices. In addition, in this area it is the church Kuiapo, the famous feast of the Black Nazarene Jesus, which is visited by millions of believers. In the heart of the area is Miranda, named in honor of Sandino, Jose Miranda, Minister of Finance of the Philippines in the mid-19th century. The area, situated directly opposite the church Kuiapo - a popular venue for political rallies and processions. It was here in August 1971 during the procession of the Liberal Party of the Philippines, a bomb exploded, killing 9 people and more than 100 were wounded.

The area is home to a large number of Kuiapo Muslims - for them are built the Golden Mosque and Green Mosque. And around the church Kuiapo always hovers real army predictors of fate that offer to everyone, not only to tell fortunes for the future, but also to buy some healing grass. The biggest problem area - sale of smuggled goods and small gang of thugs.

Up until the 1970s Kuiapo, as well as its surrounding areas Avenida, Binondo, Santa Cruz, and the so-called Eskolta University Belt, was the center of commerce, fashion, art, higher education and accommodation Manila elite. But when on Rizal Avenue was built light rail transit road, dirt and exhaust gases covered streets below, making them dirty and gloomy. As a result, people began to leave en masse to the area, and in their place came the bandits of all kinds. Only after the people's revolution in 1986 the situation changed, and next to the popular church Kuiapo began to appear "flea" markets and souvenir shops. In recent years, the administration of Manila launched a project to restore Kuiapo and its surroundings, paying particular attention to "university zone". Part of Rizal Avenue street Karredo to Claro Recto Avenue was turned into a pedestrian shopping row.

Despite all the shortcomings area Kuiapo considered a very popular tourist attraction .  The famous street Felix Hidalgo called "a paradise for photographers" as you can buy very different photographic equipment at prices far below market .  But it's also a paradise for all sorts of trinkets that are sold at every step .  The street is always lively - pedestrians scurry shopping, taxis offer their services, and numerous tourists admiring the ancient architecture area .  In the late 19th century the street Hidalgo, considered the most beautiful in Manila .  Today, the city administration developed projects for the restoration of houses located here late 19th - early 20th centuries, creating its unique flavor .  Among the most interesting buildings - Minor Basilica of St. .  Sebastian, already mentioned church Kuiapo Pagoda Ocampo, House Nacpil Bautista, where the composer lived Julio Nacpil, Paterno house, built in neoclassical style, Enriquez family mansion, which was once called the most beautiful home in the Philippines, and other houses .