The unusual architecture of the Ocampo Pagoda, located on the street Paterno street in the Manila district of Quiapo, attracts the eyes of all who are near her. Built in 1935, she looks like a Chinese temple with a tower, which in turn resembles a medieval castle – a fine example of the architectural style "when West meets East". Once the entire area on which the pagoda stands today and houses nearby, belonged to an influential businessman don Jose Mariano Ocampo. Being a lawyer by training, he successfully engaged in the real estate trade. He built a pagoda – so she decorated his wonderful garden and also served as his office real estate firm.

Don Ocampo was very fond of art, in particular, he had a superb collection of Philippine paintings, which once adorned the interior of the pagoda. In addition, he is extremely fond of the art of the East – despite the fact that he was never in Japan, he dreamed of having your own Japanese pagoda. After having carefully considered all of the available photographs and pictures from magazines and books, Ocampo began thoroughly to develop the project of the pagoda. He hired the best engineers of the time, and has built one of the most interesting sights of modern Manila. But after only a couple of years after the completion of outbreak of the Second World war, and the pagoda was used as a bomb shelter.

Amazing structure and its surrounding garden survived numerous bombings and destruction of the war years, but could not resist the onset times of mercantilism and inattention. Descendants Ocampo sold the property of his ancestor, and today there is no garden, sometime luxuriantly Zverevo about pagodas, and the new owners dismantled the sculpture, which previously adorned the garden itself. The pagoda became a boarding house for sailors seeking employment, and is in a dilapidated condition. In 1992 during a strong earthquake part of the tower fell on the roof. Unfortunately, the high cost of repairs does not allow the current owners of the pagoda to put it in order.

Interestingly, some of the sculptures have survived until our days, but to see them have to stray in the area: from the street Paterno street, turn left to the street De Guzman street, then left again into a narrow street that starts just behind the bridge. It is along this street and are religious sculptures that once served as the pride of the garden Ocampo.