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.

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.

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.

Been wanting to visit this temple for a while. Finally got insider info from my in-laws about them…read moreholding an event and lunch is provided. Visiting here and eating temple lunch brought back many fond memories of my childhood as we did this growing up at a temple my grandmother was a part of. Although I didn't understand Burmese, it's ok, just follow the line and your nose as you will surely smell the delicious aroma from the kitchen. The meal was so flavorful and filling: rice dish, soup and dessert called dan bauk. I savored every bite. It's called a donation feast to celebrate something like a birthday, wedding, or anything with the donor doing alms giving which all goes back to support the temple and everyone is welcome. The grounds hosts a huge area with different Buddhist statues to pray. Peaceful and serene. Really enjoyed my experience and can't wait to visit again. Whenever I visit any temple it's always good karma to give alms.

Beautiful and Peaceful Place. Please Try…read more Meditation is the habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. The popularity of meditation is increasing as more people discover its many health benefits. You can use it to increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Many people think of it as a way to reduce stress and develop concentration. People also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns, and even increased pain tolerance.

xei xei. In loving memory of Dr. Li, an amazing and selfless physician, husband, father, son,…read morebrother and friend.

Sometimes, it takes more than Google Maps for me to find where I'm going. This temple on New Ave…read morewas so nicely decorated on the exterior and welcoming that I decided to enter the vicinity. The parking lot was small. There were some people leaving.... Service must have ended. I parked and asked for directions to the Chinese New Year 2017 Rooster Celebrations. Friendly group. And apparently, due to weather conditions... the festivities were changed to January 28th & 29th instead. Also, this place was not a temple. This was a beautifully decorated Buddha Monastery. The inside was gorgeous too. Yellow gold and red were prominent colors. There were lots of incense, flowers and fruit offerings to the statues. Peaceful. Happy Chinese New Year / Happy Spring Festival

The memories I have with this temple have been pleasant and heartwarming…read more I can remember holding my ba ngoai's hand going from statue to statue and praying with heart as I place each incense in their holder. But as I got older and moved out I found myself going less and less. But I felt that this year was the year to rediscover my culture and I came back during Lunar New Year's weekend. I came on Lunar New Year day (1/29) and once more on Sunday (2/03). Being able to come and pray once more has brought more peace and ease to my heart. Especially now knowing that my dad's photo is here makes me so happy to know how close to home he is. When my mom told me my dad's photo was here I knew I had to come back, but when I came I was overwhelmed by how many photos there were and asked one of the ladies there to help. She was able to find my dad through his name and birthday and lead me to his photo. I was so happy to see his smiling face once more that I got a little misty eyed. But held back my tears because it is not good luck to cry on Lunar New Year LOL The temple is clean with helpful volunteers and monks. I love the food they make here and my boyfriend is hooked! They mentioned on Sundays at 9am they start selling food so I know where I'm heading that morning to grab a quick bite, say hi to my dad, and donate to the temple.

The Amazing Temple, along with the Most Venerable Thich Vien Ly, helped me discover a true sense of…read morefamily.

修行，不是追求完美，而是坦然地接受殘缺。人無完美，做人也好，做事也罷，誰能盡善盡美？人生的修行，就是用智慧看透世間黑白，並用一顆善良的心成就一切美好，用一顆寬容的心，坦然地接納無法的不完美～…read more 淨宗學會， 我來過好幾次了，這個地方有很多的佛教文學， 經書， 師兄姐們態度也都很客氣， 很多經書可以免費跟大眾結緣， 我現在唸的阿彌陀經， 藥師經... 的經書， 都是在這裡請的， 當然， 你也可以隨喜功德， 也可以助印更多經書， 來幫助更多的信眾

The Amida Society is a place where you can learn the Buddha's teachings. Specifically it is a place…read moreof practice and education in the Pureland tradition. They have a regular Dharma Assembly where you chant Amitabha's name (in Chinese). They have english dharma classes as well so don't be shy to shoot an email. Try a more peaceful and simple way of living! It is a lay organization.

As a Buddhist of the Thai Theravada tradition, I was excited when I first thought I could attend…read moredharma talks by legit Thai monks here in CA. When I looked into visiting, it was quite odd to me that the website was asking me to pay to reserve a seat before ever even going. This struck me as odd. Only a bit of investigation was needed before I quickly learned this is a cult with tremendous wealth and power. Rather than accepting "Dana," a contribution made of generosity in Buddhism, where no one is turned away due to a lack of funds to meditate, they specifically charge and further proclaim, the more you donate, the 'better your merit. Be careful if you get involved with this group. They advocate for materialism and wealth, which is absolutely not in alignment with the ancient teachings of the Buddha. In fact, his views were *the very opposite*.

Beautiful guided candlelight meditation to honor Earth Day! I loved it so much! I practice…read moremeditation daily at home, but I really enjoyed the guided meditation that the monks did for us. It left me feeling grounded, naturally elated, and connected. Loved the message that the monk gave where he emphasized on world peace through cultivating inner peace. Also, loved how he reminded us not to force our thoughts away, but to relax and release into the experience that arises. Thank you so much for such a blessing! Also, the grounds are beautiful! I enjoyed and loved walking in the garden! The staff was also nice and kind as well! 10/10 will come back again for another free collective meditation event!

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!

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.