About Parian, Cebu
Parian is one of the oldest and most historic place in the country. Parian was once a small community of Chinese traders in the sixteenth century. It grew into a residential headquarters of the most dynamic entrepreneurs of Cebu and became the general district.
Chinese traders participated in the lucrative galleon trade and somehow had to settle down in Cebu. In time, Parian evolved into a market and trading center.
At the turn of the present century, Parian was the residential area of the city’s wealthiest families. The place became the center of social life of the Buena sociedad cebuana. The area remained a public place for it was variously the site of a schoolhouses, a firehouse and a local library.