Echo Valley & Hanging Coffins

Echo Valley is another tourist spot in Sagada that people like visiting. There are two reason why it's popular. First is because of the hanging coffins, some are centuries old and others were just put recently. Hanging Coffins can bee seen on the cliffs surrounding the town. One needs to be married and have grandchildren to be buried in this manner. 

Animistic Applai (indigenous people of the Western Mt. Province) elders can still be entombed in the caves of Sagada, if they can afford it. The God demands a sacrifice of more than 20 pigs and three times the chicken to be buried in the caves. 

The second reason is the echo when shouting out loud. When visited the site, it was raining so we're not allowed to go down. I had no choice but be contented to see the coffins from afar. 

They said that if you shout out loud you’d hear your echo, thus the name Echo Valley. I tried that but I've been waiting for minutes but no echo. I thought maybe I haven't shouted loud enough.

 

During summer, people are allowed to go down the Echo Valley to see the coffins up-close. One can also experience rock climbing, but needs to have a guide. Actually, going to the valley really requires a guide because they said you’d be lost in the trail if you go alone.

Echo Valley is 15 minutes away from the main road. Going there, you'll by the St. Mary's Episcopal Church and the town's cemetery. World War veterans are buried in this cemetery. You'll know because of the markings on the tombs.

 

Hanging Coffins, although it's still being practice, is starting to fade.