Vigan

Vigan, officially the City of Vigan (Ilocano: Siudad ti Vigan; Filipino: Lungsod ng Vigan; Spanish: Ciudad de Vigan), is a component city and capital of the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 54,498 people. Located on the western coast of the large island of Luzon, facing the South China Sea, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is one of the few Spanish colonial towns left in the Philippines whose old structures have mostly remained intact. It is well known for its sett pavements and a unique architecture of the Spanish Philippines colonial era which fuses native Philippine and Oriental building designs and construction, with colonial Spanish architecture that is still abundant in the area, mainly the bahay na bato houses and an Earthquake Baroque church. It is known as the birthplace of Elpidio Quirino, the 6th President of the Philippines. He was born at the former location of the Provincial Jail (his father was a warden). He also resided in the Syquia Mansion, which was a wedding gift from his in-laws to his wife. The entire city of Vigan was later inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage City after being declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a member of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC). In May 2015, Vigan was officially recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities together with Beirut, Doha, Durban, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, and La Paz.