Off to the side of Plaza Lawton, is the large Intramuros complex, the walled city. You can choose to start your exploration of Intramuros from here or from Puerta Real on the other side of the complex fronting Luneta Park. The walls of Intramuros already dominate the area here even with a major school enclosed within its walls. Just as I entered the area I immediately noticed the Puerta de Isabel II. It is basically a gate which allows people from inside the walled city to go out or enter. This was a result of the huge pedestrian traffic heading towards Binondo.
The gate wasn’t really open at that time, nor I don’t think it will be open anymore. There is a forbidding gate which keeps people from getting in Intramuros this way. Which was kind of ironic in a way since it was supposed to be a pedestrian gate. Fronting the Puerta de Isabel II is a status of Queen Isabel II herself. The bronze statue was erected in 1860 by Spanish sculptor Ponciano Ponzano. After the downfall of her government in Spain, orders were given to destroy the status. However, sympathizers managed to hide the statue. It has since been display in front of Malate Church before a typhoon forced it to be relocated to it present site. What man cannot do, nature did. Fortunately the statue survived it.
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