I regularly go to Cebu and Bohol. On a recent trip I discovered a new attraction, so new you may have to jump over cement puddles and dodge uncut rebars jutting out of walls. The place wasn't finished yet.
Temple of Leah, dubbed as “Cebu’s Taj Mahal,” may be a grand gesture of affection from a husband to his late wife. But unlike the Taj Mahal which is a mausoleum, Temple of Leah is a shrine holding the memory and treasures of Leah Albino-Adarna, the late wife of Teodorico Soriano-Adarna.
The Adarna family owns the Queensland hotel chain in Cebu. Ellen Adarna, the Filipina actress, hails from this family. They opened the Temple of Leah to the general public in 2015. Construction started in 2012 and is still in progress.
Located on a hillside overlooking Cebu City, Temple of Leah is seven storeys high and covers a area of around 5,000 square meters. The temple was influenced by ancient Roman architecture as shown in the marble halls, the Roman arches, and the granite Doric columns. Hellenic statues adorn the corners and various spots in the building and courtyard.
It was a rainy day. I was already there that rainy afternoon when I overheard someone comment that the best place to be there was on a rainy night as the vibrant Cebu skyline dramatically lit up the clouds overhanging the city. Makes perfect sense. Darn it.
The choice of tall potted plants doesn't go well at all with the "line of statues" effect.
The Charities overlooking Cebu City. I can't be the only one who thinks they're hot, am I?
Two golden lions stand sentinel on each side of the grand stairway leading to the main hall of the shrine, which features a nine-foot bronze sculpture of Leah. The main structure features 24 chambers that holds Leah’s collection, ranging from antiques to Chinese jars to books from around the world. As of October 2017, several chambers are still undergoing finishing touches.
Notice the dump truck (tipper lorry?) at the left of the stairway and the unused tiles stacked at the right.
“Beloved Wife and Mother: Leah V. Albino-Adarna was chosen Matron Queen of her Alma Mater the University of Southern Philippines. This bronze statue portrays her composure and regal bearing when she was crowned. May the beholder discern her innate beauty, poise and genteelness.”
A Biblical angel. A bit out of place in a Greco-Roman temple. Unless that's actually Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.
Some say the temple, currently one of Cebu’s most visited new attractions, is tacky and excessive. It's a must-see, however, to people who are curious what an affection priced at P80 million (reportedly) looks like.
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Pipipipiw! Pipiw!
Post Script: Darn! I ran out of bandwidth. I had to post this several times yesterday, the first time with just the text, the second time with the pictures. Then I decided the pictures could be laid out better and could use some captions, then I realized I didn't have a picture of the main structure itself! At this point my bandwidth was only 33G, which wasn't even enough for a comment. Sorry about the multiple edits. I didn't plan my post as properly as I should have.
Post post script: Yes, some pictures came out too grainy. We were literally in the clouds then, and there was a low-lying storm. I've had to do quite a lot of editing just to get rid of the haze. Yes, the angels and the classical styled statues in a Greek temple would look ethereal when seen through a filter of clouds.