Lion's Head

Kennon Road serves as an important artery to Baguio City, sometimes called the summer capital of the Philippines with an elevation of 1,500 meters (4,921 feet). This mountainous region is punctuated by large boulders and when the road was first built, passersby observed a particular limestone that resembled the shape of a lion’s head. In the late 1960s, a local club decided to make that resemblance more literal.

Members of the Lions Club of Baguio wanted the rock to become a landmark. They prepared the limestone, and sculptor Anselmo B. Day-ag carved into it a more realistic depiction of a lion’s head with a large mane and open mouth. Unveiled in 1972, the Lion’s Head measures 40 feet (12 meters) in height. It is painted in shades of gold, black, and brown—though at various points over the years it has been painted in other colors.

Today Lion’s Head is a popular stop for those passing by the highway to Baguio or heading back to the lowland regions.