Temple of Leah is the newest tourist attraction in the Cebu, Philippines. This impressive sight is a lofty structure with overlooking views of Cebu’s skyline. This is a monumental ancient-Greece inspired temple that made thousands of tourists enjoy this destination!
Getting there would not give you much view ’til you reach the place. The road is quite small however the travel time is not long. It would only take you about 30 minutes from Cebu City if you’re taking a private vehicle. Take note, there’s no parking space inside Temple of Leah. You have to find a spot nearby to park your car.
There is an entrance fee of 50 php (as what I remembered) which will be collected at the gate. As you walk towards the grandiose structure (although there were ongoing construction when we went there), you’ll see that this site has a breathtaking view of the city.
Going in to the temple, you’ll be greeted by golden huge lion structures, extensive staircase and pillars. By then, you’ll feel as if that you are in Rome! The monument is intricately done. Their floor designs are perfect and every spot is instagrammable!
As you walk further you’ll see a nine-foot bronze statue of a woman with a crown holding a bouquet of flowers. Beside her are staircases that have golden angels made of brass as its posts.
Who is she? What’s the story behind this Temple of Leah? I’ve asked these questions too when we were there.
Temple of Leah is like the Taj Mahal in India. This majestic site is built as a testament of love. A Filipino millionaire in Cebu named Teodorico Soriano Adarna have this temple built in honour of his late wife, Leah V. Albino-Adarna. Leah Adarna is the grandmother of the famous Filipino actress and model, Ellen Adarna.
As told in a TV show, Leah had a dream to have a rest house in Cebu. However, in 2010, Leah who was then 69 years old, died because of cancer. Teodorico, with his family, decided to build an ancient-Greece inspired temple to keep memories of Leah alive.
The Temple of Leah’s site is about 5 thousand square meters. This mansion has 7 floors, about 20 rooms and have about 90 pillars. It was said that there’s a library and museum inside this temple.
Although this tourist destination is still under construction, it is already made open to the public.
So if you are visiting Cebu City, don’t forget to include Temple of Leah to your “To go” list! Surely, you don’t want to miss visiting and taking good photos in this majestic site!
Location:
It’s located at Cebu Transcentral Highway, Baranggay Busay, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines.