La Paz is located in the canyon between Mount Imapu and Mount Illimani in South America, with an average altitude of 3,600 meters, making it the highest-altitude capital in the world. In Spanish, La Paz is recorded as "La Paz", which means "peace and tranquility". It turned out to be just a small Indian village. In 1548, people discovered sand gold in the La Paz River. Spanish General Alonso · De Mendoza therefore ordered the city to be built.
Today, the chief village woman of the Rat Emperor will take everyone to see this city that grows on the clouds - La Paz.
La Paz is not only the seat of the Bolivian government, the largest city in the country, and an important political, economic and cultural center, but it is also the city with the highest concentration of indigenous Indian residents in the entire country. Coupled with immigrants from other countries, La Paz is different. The interweaving and fusion of cultures ultimately gives La Paz a unique look that is extremely rich in layers.
The entire city of La Paz can be divided into three major areas: El Alto, Calacoto, and Old city.
El The Atuo area is located near the airport. It is a poor area and a residential area for migrant workers, and the public security is relatively chaotic. The Southern District is a new district and is also a rich area. It is similar to most of our development districts, and most of the modern commercial centers are gathered here. For travelers, the old town is a real treasure area. It is worth spending 2 days to explore in depth, and it is also the focus of this article.
The layout of the cities built by the Spanish remains highly consistent: the central location is the Grand Square, and the circle around the square is the core institutions, including the Presidential Palace, the Congress Building and the Cathedral, etc., and further outside, Residential areas swinging out in circles.
The same goes for La Paz.
Plaza Murillo
The huge bronze statue standing in the center of the square is Pedro Domingo Murillo, the pioneer of South America's struggle for national independence, and he is also the founder of this square. Origin of the name. Murillo Plaza is located in the center of La Paz, opposite the Bolivian Presidential Palace. It was built in 1558. It was originally called Plaza de Armas. The C position is the Poseidon Fountain, which was replaced by Murillo in 1909. This heroic statue was created by Italian sculptor Ferruccio Cantera and has an obvious neoclassical style.
There are 8 other female sculptures around the main statue. 4 are the gods of time, symbolizing spring, summer, autumn and winter; the other 4 represent art, symbolizing painting, architecture, sculpture and music.
Many parents bring their children to feed the pigeons here.
Basilica de San Francisco (Basilica de San Francisco)
The Basilica de San Francisco (monastery) was started in 1548 by Frederic de Morales and completed in 1581 Year. It collapsed due to a snowstorm in 1610, and the reconstruction project began in 1743 and lasted 10 years.
The church's exterior walls and interior decoration are a combination of Spanish Baroque art and local art.
In 1790, the main decorative carvings on the exterior walls of the church were completed. You can still see some interesting elements carved by craftsmen at that time, such as the South American lychee, a specialty fruit of South America. The renovated stone pillars above the main entrance symbolize the three important cultures of La Paz: Tiahuanaco culture, Inca culture and modern culture. What makes this church unique from others is that it has only one bell tower, unlike most churches with double churches. Symmetrical traditional approach.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 16:00-18:00
Tickets: Church free, museum 7 Bolivianos
Witch Market
Bolivia not only has vast plateau scenery, but it is also one of the countries with the best preserved Indian culture and traditions in South America. Half of the total population is Indian, and they still continue their ancient way of life. If you want to experience the authentic and mysterious Indian lifestyle up close, the Witches Market in La Paz cannot be missed.
The Witches Market (Mercado de las Brujas) is actually a street, and it is the most unique place in La Paz. The stone-paved streets slide diagonally toward the center of the city. The nuns who guard the stalls wear silk shawls with long tassels, knee-length pleated skirts, and double thick braids. A fat man was selling witchcraft props that they believed in.
Yes, we can not only buy alpaca products and other popular local Bolivian souvenirs here, but we can also see witches and their cooking props.
Cable Car
La Paz is the highest capital in the world. For the residents of this city, it seems like they are living in a "bowl".
From the bottom of the bowl in the city center to the surrounding mountains, the altitude difference is hundreds of meters, and houses of various sizes are densely built on the walls of the bowl.