Directly south of Intramuros lies Rizal Park, the country’s most significant park. The 60 hectare Rizal Park sits on the site where José Rizal, the country’s national hero, was executed by the Spaniards on charges of subversion. A monument stands in his honor where Rizal’s remains were buried. The big flagpole west of the Rizal Monument is Kilometer Zero for road distances on the island of Luzon and the rest of the country.

Other attractions in Rizal Park include the Chinese and Japanese Gardens, the Department of Tourism building, the National Museum of the Filipino People, The National Library of the Philippines, the Planetarium, the Orchidarium and Butterfly Pavilion, an open-air auditorium for cultural performances, a relief map of the Philippines, a fountain area, a children’s lagoon, a chess plaza, a light and sound presentation, and the Quirino Grandstand.