Japanese Obon (oh bohn) festivals are summer time local events which originated from Buddhist…read morephilosophy 2,500 years ago in India. One of Shakamuni Buddha's disciples, Maha Maudgalyayana or Mokuren in Japanese, had supernatural powers and could see his mother suffering in the afterworld. He conferred with the Buddha who counseled him to make food offerings to his fellow monks which was on the 7th month of lthe 15th day. This act of kindness released his mother from agony. Mokuren was overjoyed not only by the fact that his mother was no longer suffering, but also remembered her sacrifices & unselfishness toward him while she was still on this earth. This realization made him dance for joy & gratefulness. Hence to this day, during the Obon Festival, ancestors are venerated, and people dance in the dark, warm, humid summer evenings in joy & gratefulness like Mokuren. I have two left feet so I had to opt out of the Obon dancing, but in order to help with the temple fund raising, I bought something that is very near and dear to my heart or should I say stomach. I ordered Yaki To-morokoshi or roasted corn on the cob. Being in California, not only was there the traditional Teriyaki sauce to glaze over the corn, you could butter it up and pour on powdered Parmesan cheese, or sprinkle on Pico de Gallo Chile powder mix, etc. The corn was fresh & sweet and tasted of summer. Also ordered their charcoal grilled beef Teriyaki which was quite good. The Teriyaki sauce had a strong taste of Sho-yu (soy sauce) with a touch of sugar & a soupcon of ginger. I tend to like complex flavours since being in California I am influenced by all sorts of cuisine like Korean & Mexican so at home I would whore my version of teriyaki with garlic, pureed jalapeno peppers & cilantro. But I can see my version would be a little too busy for some people. For dessert, we ordered the Japanese Shaved Ice known as Ko-ri. This variant is called Kintoki which is Azuki beans simmered with sugar for hours until the beans are sweet and soft. The sweetened Azuki beans are then poured over the soft, snowy ice. For added extra creaminess, I ordered condensed milk to be drizzled on top of the shaved ice. The Filipino crushed ice dessert drink called Halo Halo has similar cooked sweet beans that reminds me of azuki beans. By now the Bon Odori (dance) started and the dancers started to circle & dance in a counter-clockwise direction. We watched and hanged around until it became dark. Obon Festivals are relaxed, laid back family/friends events, and are a good excuse to meet people you haven't met for some time. It reminds me a little like Mexico where people do the Paseo around the town square meeting and talking with friends, relatives, lovers, etc. except Obon lasts only 3 days in Japan.

Came here for Obon festival, and it was lit!…read more The crowd was so much fun, there was plenty of food and dancing. The people were really fun, and the Temple's grounds were spacious. Highly recommend!

It's a beautiful temple. We come here to pray, worship and guidance - usually during times of…read morecelebration or need. The people have always been kind and parking never seems to be an issue.

For Vietnamese New Years, my family and I always like to go to many temples to pray for our…read morefamily's well-being for the entire year. Every year I try to find more temples to take my mom and my aunties so when my friend from my temple's youth group posted a picture with her family here, I knew I had to bookmark it for when I had the chance to come by. I believe this is a Chinese temple. The only big difference from the Chinese temples and the Vietnamese temples I have been to so far is that the Chinese temples let you wear your shoes indoors whereas you take off your shoes when you enter the mainhall at a Vietnamese temple. My auntie and I entered the main hall and my auntie was in awe. She was so happy at the architectural beauty and the temple and the amazing Buddhist statues that they have here. She said it resembled a temple back in our hometown in Vietnam that she would come and visit when she came back from the city. She was so excited that she told me to take pictures to show my mom and their other siblings. Of course, I will have to take my mom back here to experience that resemblance first hand. The smell of the incense already filled the air throughout the mainhall so my auntie and I decided to just burn one incense to prevent wasting too many incenses during the festive New Years celebrating. We said our prayers for the family and walked around to admire the temple. I think they had some New Years fortune things, but I am not able to read the writing so there was no point to grab any fortunes. Among the many tables in the mainhall, I saw this interesting table with red ribbon tied to a coin and I asked the volunteer behind the counter what it was for. From what my nonverbal skills could decipher the red ribbon with the coin is $5 each and the purpose is to make a wish and then throw the ribbon onto this wishing tree for good luck. I'm not sure if this is a new year thing or a Chinese Temple thing... but it sounded fun so I gave the volunteer $10 so that my auntie and I could make some wishes to start off the New Year on positive vibes. I don't know if it matters how high we throw it but I made sure to throw it onto a really high branch!! This is a really nice temple to visit if you are looking for a temple to visit in the area or if you are just curious and want to stop by to check it out for yourself. Lunar New Years is definitely one of the most festive times of the year to visit temple and in my opinion the best time to visit even if you aren't Buddhist.

Gwan Yin Temple is a great place to practice mediation and learning the teaching of the compassion…read moreBodhisattva. Our family come here at every Buddhist events and Chinese New Year.

I visited this temple from time to time or when I am having dimsum at NBC…read more.. This week I made a trip to visit and pay my appreciation. In the past few months, I have learned more about their charity work and their dedication in support the community. They have been generously donated masks, face shield and KN95 masks to local groups to help families in need. All the canned food that were brought to the temple for blessings are being safely collected then donate to LA foodbank. We go to temple to seek for inner peace and by sharing our blessings, we found peace.

We've been coming here for several years and it continues to be humble in their practice. They…read morestill give out free vegetarian food. The parking situation is not that great. It is mainly street parking right on Atlantic Blvd or the side streets. El Portal Pl is a popular spot (plus there's a cool water feature). You can also access the rear entrance from El Portal Pl by following the small alley behind the stores. The rear entrance is clearly labeled with a sign in Chinese and the words "Buddhist Mission 527." This time around, we used the rear entrance since we parked on El Portal. When we arrived at the temple, the place was fairly busy with people making their prayers and offerings to the gods. Since it was the start of the New Year, people were also making their offerings to Tai Sui to prevent misfortune/disturbances and ask for peace and good fortune. Overall, the place is pretty busy. They don't have a great parking area as it is mainly street parking. It's not a very lavish temple, but it has a nice homely feel to it.

This has been the temple I've been going to since I was younger. I come once a year or maybe twice…read moreto pray to my grandma and grandpa. The people here are so kindhearted & warm. This is primarily a teochow/Chinese temple. :-) They have free vegetarian food on super big holidays like Lunar New Years. I would 100% recommend coming to this temple and praying. It's truly peaceful & everyone here is so kind :')

This temple is Teochew/Chinese and all are welcomed. I come here almost every year. I have an uncle…read moreand a older cousin that works there. It's a small and beautiful place to be a part of. Last year I did not make it in on time and they closed early so be sure to check the times or call in for hours. Don't assume everyone speaks English. There is no entrance fee. Its a great place to visit if you're in town or for the Chinese New Year. There is plenty of parking in the lot. Like most temples, donations are acceptable at any dollar amount and is not a requirement. Most of the time if they see you give donations during the Chinese New Year, you get tangerines or oranges in return. A lot of temples have smoke blowing in your eyes and surroundings from the incense being lit, but not at this place. This place is very clean and less congested. It's really quiet and less crowded too which is good.

Dharma Seal Temple is a neighborhood Buddhist temple -- relatively new and inviting…read more The attendants here are nice but speaks Mandarin (I think). The temple offers a weekly prayers and community service with the added convenience of plenty of underground parking. I came during the week of Chinese New year so lots of red lanterns, festive decorations and I was lucky enough to have a monk offer his blessings.

The north hallway of the main shrine. It's a beautiful…read moretemple. Not sure if they always open to the public. I'm here to pick up a relative during their Sunday service. Friendly staff (volunteers?)here. As a Christian I don't felt uncomfortable or unwelcome here

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.

I really appreciate this temple because it's close to home and accessible. I normally park on the…read morestreet and just walk right in. I feel that this is more of an intimate setting since it's not a big place. The set up is three rooms right next to one another. Feel free to pick up an incense, light it with a candle, and pray. I made sure to ask for my fortune and this is up to you, but I make a donation after I finished each room. There are signs in Thai. I didn't expect to see this because I thought it was a Chinese temple. I don't visit the temple as much as I should but when I do, I think of this place.

Wong Tai Sen is a place of worship and culture. You feel a sense of community when visiting. We…read morefrequent the temple during Lunar New Year and this year was no different. It's smaller compares to many other temples but it's filled with great volunteers, and religious figures. Behind the temple is an outdoor deity, it's something you can't miss. They usually will sell Buddhist lucky charms, free lucky charms etcetera. Depending on the day and the time you visit, there will also be free meals available for visitors.