In Mexico City, the exhibition "The Manila Galleon: We are the Pacific" will be presented by the San Ildefonso College, in collaboration with the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore and the Philippines-Mexico Studies Program of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The exhibition, featuring over 300 objects from more than 25 institutions, narrates a 500-year history of cultural and commercial ties between the East and the Americas. Eduardo Vázquez Martín, executive coordinator of the San Ildefonso Museum, explained that the exhibition was adapted to offer a Mexican perspective. Among the exhibits are maps, textiles, paintings, ivory and mother-of-pearl carvings, Chinese Ming dynasty porcelain, Filipino lacquers, and New Hispanic textiles. The exhibition is divided into seven sections, covering the history of pre-Hispanic peoples, the formation of the Mexican Pacific identity, the first commercial route between Acapulco and Manila, the Hasekura mission, and the end of the galleon era. The exhibition will be open from December 3, 2025, to May 31, 2026, in the historic center of Mexico City.
Exhibition on 500-year ties between Mexico and Asia opens in Mexico City
The "Manila Galleon: We are the Pacific" exhibition at San Ildefonso College will feature 300 artifacts telling the story of the 500-year cultural and commercial exchange between Mexico and Asia. Visitors will see ancient maps, porcelain, textiles, and navigation instruments.
