Nice temple! There's some parking on their lot as well as the street. Staff can speak English and…read moreVietnamese. They have events for Chinese new year.

Absolutely beautiful temple, and this one was welcoming to visitors. I did not feel like an…read moreoutsider here. The people who were here taking care of the place smiled at me and did not hover over me as I looked around. I took photos but I also tried to be respectful, and I said my thank yous to their gods. This place did smell very strong of incense, but was so gorgeous inside and out. They also had a restroom! ALSO WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE WITH RAMPS!!!

My mom wanted to do a good luck prayer for the LUNAR NEW YEAR so I searched on Yelp for the nearest…read moretemple to us and found Hsi Lai Temple!... FIRST OF ALL: WOW!! What a gorgeous and magnificent temple this is!! It has about 2 floors of parking and the temple also has additional floors to go up as well. So be expected to walk up quite a few amounts of stairs!! FIRST FLOOR: We did a prayer with a donation and it came with some apples and other assortments in a red gift bag. The red gift bag required a donation of $20 per bag so me and my mom bought 2. Then, their were some nice ladies there who helped guide is on what to do. We prayed in front of 5 statues and posted the red gift bags in the middle... SECOND FLOOR: This is where we can do another prayer with 1 incense. And this is also where the restrooms were as well so make sure you don't back down to the first floor because the RESTROOMS are on the second floor!!! PARKING: Plenty of parking. There are 2 floors available for parking!! This temple really transported us to another country!! It was also very peaceful and quiet!! SATU HSI LAI TEMPLE!!!

Hsi Lai Temple (completed in 1988) is one of the largest Buddhist temples in North America. During…read moreeach Lunar New Year, the temple transforms into a festive spot with cute decors. Many visitors from across Southern California have a tradition of visiting within the first 15 days of the Lunar New Year as this period is still considered a part of the holiday celebration. [Lunar New Year Food Fair]: Each year, the temple sets up a food fair and this year the fair happened on the 1st, 5th, and 6th days of the Lunar New Year. Always check the website for the dates the temple sets up the food fair. All dishes are 100% vegetarian. Booths were selling fa gao (Chinese steamed cake), nian gao (steamed rice cake), turnip cake, boba milk tea, and even Girl Scout cookies. [Parking]: Under normal circumstances, there is free onsite parking at the temple; however, do NOT bother trying to park at the temple on days when shuttle service is available as visitors will be redirected to a shuttle parking lot. Temporary off-site parking and shuttle buses were located at Puente Hills Mall near Round1. Check the website for shuttle service dates. This year the shuttle service was offered on the 1st, 5th, 6th, and 12th days of the Lunar New Year. The shuttle service operated from 8 AM to 5 PM. There were two types of shuttles - big buses dropped off at the street level so guests needed to walk up to the temple while small shuttles dropped off in front of the Bodhisattva Hall. [Other experience outside of food fair]: There were booths selling cute zodiac charms. Most visitors come here to do the following acitivities (1) ring the Peace Bell, (2) view art gallery exhibitions like calligraphy, (3) attend Dharma services, (4) participate in the Light Offering Ceremony on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, (5) enjoy cultural performances on the 1st day of the Lunar New Year, (6) drink free hot teas at the information center, (7) throw pennies and try to hit a bell at the Arhat Garden, and (8) throw golden medallions with red ribbons at the tree. Visitors can go behind the Bodhisattva Hall to stop by the Main Shrine. At the Main Shrine, visitors can get free incense, pray & bow to Buddhas, and place it in the giant incense burner. Visitors can also purchase light offerings for $120 per person as well as other offering items at tables near the giant incense burner. [Photo]: Outdoors ONLY. [Prohibits]: No meat, fish, poultry, alcoholic beverages, smoking and vaping (e-cigarette), any use of marijuana, bicycles, rollerblading, skateboarding, pets (except certified service animals), and drone planes. [Dress code - preferred]: Shirts with sleeves (male and female), no tank tops, shorts, short skirts/dresses, flip-flops, or slippers. [Conclusion]: The temple offers one of the most comprehensive Lunar New Year food experiences in the entire Southern California. This is also one of the most festive places in Southern California during Lunar New Year. Highly recommend to stop by here at least once to experience the celebration. P.S. - The temple has a really good vegetarian lunch buffet.

Beautiful Buddhist temple but I took out a star because I came here for a meditation class, but…read morethere was no one present when I arrived. I waited, and waited for an hour and I even tried knocking on some doors, but no one answered. So, I just walked around the temple grounds, enjoying the beautiful tree and the Buddhas. Would love to try their meditation class one day!

Good place primarily serving the Sri Lankan community. Mostly involved with traditional customs and…read morerituals in Buddhism. Although there was one western monk having a regular meditation program. Good to check if the program is still going on before visiting.

Hands down the most reasonably priced Thai food you'll find in the area! Wat Thai food court is…read moreonly open on the weekends, and it does get quite busy quite early. We arrived a little past 10 and were very fortunate to find a parking spot as the lot was just about completely full (there are attendants that help you out with the parking). Make sure to bring cash, as that's your main method of payment. You exchange your cash for colored tokens at a booth, and use the tokens to purchase food from the different stalls. If you have tokens left over, you can exchange them back for cash. There are so many food stalls and they all look like they have delicious food! I got a picture of my Pad Thai, but also ordered some fried rice and other foods to go. I thought the Pad Thai was very flavorful, and really can't be beaten for $8. There are lots of outdoor benches (covered) where you can sit and enjoy your food, and I also saw a lot of people getting food to go. Felt like an authentic night market. Definitely check it out if you're in the area!

Finally got to visit! Has been on my list for the longest…read moretime and finally had time to head out there. It was great to see so many people in small area form a little community. Parking wasn't bad, people in and out. Also street parking. Don't be confused by the token system! The $ amount is listed on the tokens: $1, $2, $5. Tried what is normally recommended. Pad Thai, Khao Soi Crispy Chicken Noodles, papaya salad, skewers, and Thai tea from Wat Thai cafe. About 15 vendors at the time of visit. Made sure to stop by the temple and did a little prayer. There's quite a few buddhas to pray to, depending on what you are hoping for.

Koyasan Buddhist Temple is a small temple hidden within Little Tokyo. Our party came here on the…read moreNew Year Day (January 1st) and there was a long line for hatsumode (aka "first visit" - first visit of the year to a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine taking place on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd day of the New Year). This temple was founded in 1912 and moved to the current location in 1940. This is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the United States. [Parking]: No designated parking for the temple, but Aiso Parking Garage (101 Judge John Aiso St) is located just one block away. [Waiting line]: The long waiting line is for visitors who want to pray inside of the temple. For anyone who want to buy souvenirs, then they can just walk directly into the front courtyard of the temple as there are separate lines to buy souvenirs. [Hatsumode]: Upon entering the temple, visitor can pay $5 donation for Goma-ki (write your wish and your name on the piece of wood and leave it on the table - it will supposedly be burned during a monthly ceremony Goma Fire Ritual at the last Sunday of each month outside of January). Once each person is done praying, then there's a wooden offering box for donation. No pictures are allowed inside of the temple. [Activities]: Other than hatsumode, the temple had Shusho-e (New Years Day) Service [with Mochi Presentation] on January 1st at 10 AM, New Year's Day Goma Service on January 1st at 2 PM, and Taiko Gohei Blessing Service / Goma Service throughout Jan 1st through Jan 3rd. [Classes]: Outside of hatsumode, the temple offers yoga class, Japanese calligraphy class, dharma class, tea with reverend, etc. throughout the year. [Souvenirs]: They sell omamori (Japanese amulets) , ofuda (talismans), ojuzu (Buddhist prayer beads), incense, arrows, etc. Heck they even sell Hello Kitty and Ultraman omamori. [Admission]: Free admission, but consider paying your respects with a donation in the large wooden offering box. [Conclusion]: This is one of few activities to do on the New Year Day and expect a huge crowd visiting for hatsumode. Our party stayed for approximately 45 minutes (including waiting time) and I definitely appreciate the tradition. Certainly worth a visit for anyone who is free on the New Year Day & would like to experience this annual Japanese cultural event.

I have attended services at this Buddhist temple in Los Angeles. It the most popular Japanese…read moretemple in the city. The New Years service gets thousands of visitors. New Years service at Koyasan temple is gathering place for Little Tokyo.

Tried to call them to come down there and get some information. Woman who answered the phone was…read morevery rude and hung up on me. I called back thinking maybe she didn't speak English that well but the connection ewasn't good. Click. She hangs up again. I call a third time. I say hello. She recognizes my voice and immediately hangs up on me again. No problem. I moved on to another temple. Buddha Blessings.

I drive from Orange County to come here and pray. The on site Monk showed me how to bow. I love…read morethis beautiful temple and the feeling I have being here. Much love

Excellent community street fair! The dancing, food , music and everything is so much fun! I highly…read morerecommend checking this out next July.

Came here last night for the annual Obon festival what they do is block the side street next to the…read moreTemple for the traditional Obon dances. The parking lot for the Temple has booths set up with traditional foods and games mini carnival style. Of course the food lines were long and some booths actually ran out of food for the night. Saturday it goes from 4 to 10pm and Sun 3 to 9pm. One thing is parking is really bad here cause it's street parking and some areas have limited metered parking also they are using a parking structure about a block away but that fills up fast too and it can get messy in there. Other than parking this festival is a nice time to bring family and friends and enjoy the Japanese traditional Obon dances and foods. Summer time is the time of Obon festivals all over LA and OC you can see the schedules at http://buddhistchurchesofamerica.org/2015-obon-bazaar-schedule/

Our family has been coming to this temple for over 30 years. It's my mother's must do list on the…read morefirst day of every Chinese New Year to come here to give blessings, give thanks, and prayers for the Buddha. Quan Yin/ Kwan Ying is the Goddess of Compassion in the Buddhist religion. This temple is dedicated to her. I find this temple is more genuine about the true religion and dedicate to patrons to come here seeking prayers, serenity, peace for their beliefs. Although donations are appreciated it's not expected like some of the Buddhist temples around that make you feel that it's all about the money, how much you donate, and everything and services cost money.

What's up: The family comes to this temple to make prayers and ask for blessings during events such…read moreas beginning the New Year as well as ending the year. It's a bit out of our area, but we like that it's a small temple and that they aren't overly extravagant. Parking: They have a small lot that's up front and is almost always full. But...just because it's full, that doesn't mean the temple itself is. Parking is shared with the America's Vietnamese Chinese Friendship Association. You'll have better luck finding street parking on Gates St or Manitou Ave. Environment: Masks are required. We typically bring our own incense to offer to the gods. If you forget, there are incense available for you to use as people like to donate them. Once you walk in, the incense table can be found to the left. It's recommended to use 12 sticks of incense so you'll be able to at least give 1 stick at the incense pots. We like to bring fruits to offer/bless; there are plates towards the back room if you need to use them. Donation boxes are also available if you like to make one. Restrooms are available in the next building over on the ground floor. Yay/Nay/Meh: Yay. I like that this place feels humble and intimate as opposed to the larger temples. They have the main gods that we would make prayers and offerings to and it's rarely busy unless you come in on one of the major holidays.

Perfect for meditation. I have progressed so much. Very…read moresmall only 12 seats. Hours are posted on their website. No cost but donations can be made. Street parking is almost non existant. 204/754 takes you there on bus. The monk is very welcoming. Ask for Rain and Leo :). Dhamma talks every Sunday at 11am!

Peaceful , friendly , welcoming , insightful! I look…read moreforward to every experience there. Full of friendly faces and calm environment, the monks and partners there will answer all of your questions truthfully and to the best of their knowledge . They may also say "I don't know" and suggest options to discover the answer, and I love that about this Religion. Please wear clothing that covers the knees and shoulders , there is no payment but donations are welcomed. Oh check out the back yard ! Bodhi Tree which is from the sapling of a Bodhi Tree in Sri Lanka . There are also books you can take with you that have Buddhist teachings. Everytime I attend (weekly now) I leave feeling a step closer to the most vibrant and clear self I can be