Plaza Pershing is the central public square of downtown Zamboanga, a leafy block of fountains, benches, and old acacia trees in front of the City Hall. Named after the American military governor John J. Pershing, the square was originally laid out in Spanish times as the Plaza Mayor and has remained the civic heart of the city for over three centuries.
Locals come to sit out under the trees in the late afternoon when the breeze picks up off the strait. The plaza is the unofficial start of any walk through the downtown — Fort Pilar a short stroll to the southeast, the cathedral a few blocks east, the food market and the harbour just inland.