Probably one of the most beautiful funeral services I have ever been to. I come from a Catholic background and my friend's service was of Buddhist religion. It was my first time seeing and experiencing this. Parking is very small but they have a free 4hr parking structure about a block away, easily accessible and walkable. Tastea boba catered for friends and family at this funeral service and they also had food that guests can enjoy at their seat during the service. One of a kind and unforgettable and really accommodated everyone (over 250 guests). Rest in Paradise, my lovely Jenn! IG: @ammysalamii read more

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It's always a difficult time when we are in need of this type of service. And for many of us, this is our first time. Universal Chung Wah Funeral Home has been part of this community for many many years. We were looking for a small viewing followed by cremation. The staff member named May was patient and helpful, answering all of our questions and provided useful suggestions. She did not try to upsell services. The day of the service went smoothly as planned. We arrived some time earlier and things were already set up. When the ashes were ready, another staff member even dropped off the ashes as a courtesy on her way to another appointment, so that my 80 year old mom didn't have to Uber there to pick up the ashes. Small gestures like this is greatly appreciated during such a difficult time. read more

Chung Wah has been around many years, ever since we used CW for my dad who passed away over 20 years ago. I believe it got much better over the years. We experience the loss of another loved one almost 3 months ago, the funeral service at Chung Wah went smoothly. Thanks to CW and the staff, particularly Yvonne, was very helpful and patient with us during our difficult time. She was assisting us throughout the entire process. Yvonne was knowledgeable and provided suggestions on what was necessary needs and what was not. She guided us thru during the ceremony and addressed our questions while accommodating our requests promptly. read more

My Uncle Waymond's Funeral was hosted by Chung Wah's Funeral Directors and the Staff did an excellent job in helping us have a successfully Heartwarming and peacefully enjoyable event! The Chung Wah Cave is beautifully clean, well lit, and elegantly designed to provide a fresh and simplistically chic Ambiance to celebrate the lives and high value Contributions of our loved ones transitioning into the Afterlife. The Chung Wah Team does a fantastic job keeping the parking lot organized according to the different Funeral Events going on the same day and has smart and sleek updated Technology to showcase heart stirring lightshows, deep and piercing Personal Tributes, and joyfully fun live Musical Performances from Special Guests. The Chung Wah Cave is also easy to find and located in the Heart of Alhambra Main Street where there are plenty of Trendy and Exciting Restaurants to eat lunch after the Funeral Service! I definitely recommend this Team to help take care of your Funeral planning needs read more

My name is Amy W. At the first time to deal with my big brother MAN .funeral last month. I was very luck to meet Yvonne Wang ,, she is very kind to take care of me including at all procedures ,photo, bad mood .... Its all depends on Yvonne the best attitude and super great enthsiasm proactive services.During my most diffculd time lost my brother , Tday I also want to express this great personel and the best thanks to her and sent me bless and wish her all the best to Yvonne . Amy read more

Universal Chung Wah Funeral Director, Yvonne, helped my brother's funeral. My father's funeral also was done here. Yvonne provided a amazing customer service and she was very patient and compassionate with us during our difficult time. This company is incredibly underrated--their service, professionalism, respect, and compassion are all amazing (better than many of their competitors). Without them, I would not have been able to get through such a difficult time of my life. I greatly appreciate Yvonne, and I encourage people to choose their services over others read more

Visitation Rights: 3 times. The last time was last Saturday. Parking: Decent amount of parking either on the street or in their private lot (mostly used for the funeral procession.). Day To Have Funeral: Even though it costed more to have the funeral on the weekend, it was a great choice. A lot more people were able to come to celebrate. If you're not sure of a good day to have a funeral, the person assisting you with the planning will definitely help you find a date to have the funeral Venue and Technical Equipment: The medium size room (Max. 200 persons) that we booked was very nice and clean. Included in the price, they had a sound system for us to use to play our video slide show. At first, I was very concerned about the slow wifi connection, but luckily our youtube video held up. The only thing that didn't go well was the 2 microphones that my brother used to say his eulogy. It stopped working, but he was able to power through it without the mic. Service: Service was great! Raymond, our funeral arrangement counselor, was friendly, professional, attentive, and score a lot of points for not over selling us on other services that we did not need. Due to the size of our procession, the planner was able to get another police escort in the last minute to help with traffic control to go to Rose Hills.We were also able to make a request for the funeral procession to pass by our street for one of our family member to see the house before embarking on his final resting spot at Rose Hills. That was a nice touch. Funeral Service For Though: Our family was very pleased of how the funeral and burial service went. Would definitely recommend this place. read more

Universal Chung Wah Funeral Directors - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - Alhambra, California

Dominic is amazing! From start to finish, he communicated the next steps and lead our family through a very difficult time. Thank you so much for your professionalism, patience and understanding. You made the process less stressful. read more

Thanks to Yvonne who helped me from day my mom passed till peacefully rested. Her expertise guided / helped me throughout the entire process. She followed up and provided updates very closely. Also thanks to Eva for helping me during the service as well. Thanks for all the professional support provided for my mom's last journey. read more

Our Arrangement Counselor Dominic Tsui was absolutely wonderful. He's always available to answer questions and guide us through the funeral process. Dominic is 100% supportive and is very easy to work with. His customer service is superb. We are very appreciative of him and his team at Chung Wah. read more

The manager hire rude motorcycle unit, do not respect people. File complaint to funeral director Henry Kong never returned call. Never, ever use this funeral home. Because they have the mentality, you do not use it often. They do not care about the services. read more

My family and I went here to get an estimate cost of funeral in late September for my father. The director was nice and friendly chatting with my mother who ends up being in the same home town in Guangdong China with him. Lots of caskets and prices for traditional Chinese funeral. His whole staff was great of making sure incense and food offerings was available. They also followed us to my father's burial plot was done correctly. read more

My family and I had a great experience working with the staff at the Universal Chung Wah Funeral Directors Home in Alhambra. From the time when I contacted them by phone to final arrangements at the burial site, the staff member have been incredibly professional and compassionate. We had a lot of expectations, and the staff delivered. I am particularly grateful to Penny and Daniel for their direction, advice, and flexibility with our needs. They helped to make a difficult situation more tolerable, and I am grateful that we went with them for all of our memorial services. read more

Yvonne was very informative and helpful during these times. She gave us a detailed explanation of the entire viewing procedure and walked us through it. She was very understanding when we had to make last minute additions to the casket due to religious beliefs. She made all of the adjustments we asked for without hesitation, and she let us know when she was done. She kept us informed at every stage of the procedure. We are really appreciative to her for making things go so well. read more

I've been to many family funerals over the years and they've been THE BEST. Process of selecting burial coffin, day of funeral service and services were excellent. Staff had respect for all parties that attended. Very respectful and well organized read more

Professional and very comforting during a difficult emotional time. Exactly the heart and respect given to celebrate the life of a loved one lost . . . read more

The funeral director Steve preyed on my sister in law's grieving family to upsell a bunch of services that were not at all economical or necessary. The staff was laughing and talking so loudly throughout the service we could not properly hear the family speak. Incredibly upsetting, please avoid this place read more

Wonderful staff who cares for every family. They understand Chinese customs and will work day and night to help! Highly recommend!

Despite some of the negative reviews about this place, my family's experience was superb. It's always hard to lay a family member to rest, but the funeral home was patient and explained everything to us. This gave my family a sense of relief that everything's being handled and organized, which gave us the space to properly grieve. Henry - thank you immensely for your guidance and care during the entire process. read more

Would give zero stars if I could. These people are callous and predatory. Burial services should not be treated as a business for profit where you manipulate and up-sell your customers like they're not real people. Your job is to ease the grieving process for those who have lost loved ones by providing a seamless, respectable, and loving burial. You don't belong in the burial service industry unless you have a profound awareness and care for respecting the human spirit - and this company is severely lacking in that department. read more

I understand that this is a business but it takes a dirty heart to take advantage of the elderly when they are mourning the loss of their loved ones. This is exactly what we experienced. A real conman with no shame. There is no sincerity here and your loved ones deserve better. Even after the extra money that was swindled, the quality was lacking at best. Look elsewhere. read more

When my father passed away suddenly a couple of months ago, our family debated on where to hold his memorial service. Because our family has had many good experiences with Rose Hills, we tried to book the SkyRose Chapel there. Unfortunately, it had already been booked for the day of my Dad's service. Universal Chung Wah ended up being a good alternative, as we were looking for a facility that could accomodate over 300 people. Located just outside of Downtown Alhambra, there is nothing fancy about their building or facilities. However, the service here is incredible. They are sensitive to the needs of the families here, especially to those who are Asian. They have staff who speaks many different Asian languages, not just Taiwanese and Mandarin Chinese, but also Cantonese, Vietnamese, and others. And because they specialize with the Asian community, they are incredibly knowledgable about and sensitive to their cultural needs. Various Buddhist organizations have good relationships with Universal Chung Wah, as do many different Asian Christian denominations. One major drawback about this location is that the crematory is not located on site so it is necessary to go to a location in Duarte or Whittier for this to be done. Nonetheless, they have good relationships with other facilities and can handle many of your requests. The service here is impeccable and very detailed-oriented. I was very happy with the staff here and the way they were on hand to make sure everything ran very smoothly. read more

My elderly Korean parents (still living) decided last year they no longer wanted to be buried at Rose Hills, so I had to sell their expensive hillside plots. I first tried Craigslist, but got no response. Then I realized I should tap into the Chinese community, since the location is known for having good feng shui. I found May Hsiao at Chung Wah, who provides a cemetery broker service. She found a buyer relatively quickly, and made the ownership transfer easy and stress free. She is patient, kind-hearted and I felt well taken care of. Thank you May! read more

I used Universal Chung Wah when my father passed away suddenly a month ago. Dealing with death never comes easy. My mom told me about this place so I looked into it. Dominic Tsui was the one who was my consultant. I had my father's viewing here and proceeded with his burial at Rose Hills with the help of Chung Wah Dominic assisted me with everything. They have a list they go down and tell you exactly what you're supposed to do during the memorial service. This was the first time I ever had to deal with it so he took his time and explained everything to me. There were times when I asked him "what about Chinese traditions" and he would explain to me. I don't come from a very traditional type of family but when my father passed away I was left with the responsibility to plan his service. They are a one stop shop here. They basically did everything for me. I just had to make the decisions. I also bought my father's casket here. They have tons of different ones. They even referred a monk who chants during the service, they get the death certificate for you, they offer police escorts, they offer Chinese attire for the deceased. They also tell you what you need to bring on the day of the viewing like certain foods depending what religion you are. They even let me have a mini viewing for immediate family on the 7th day my Father passed away (Chinese ritual). During that time Dominic said it would only before an hour but he ended up letting me stay for 3 hours. My father's service turned our beautifully. Chung Wah also assisted me with buying my plot at Rose Hills. They set me up with an agent that took me to Rose Hills to look at plots. Henry Wong was the consultant at Chung Wah who assisted me with information for Rose Hills. Overall I am giving them 5 stars because they have made the process very easy for me. I also had some family drama on the side because we didn't know how my father wanted to be buried but Dominic and Henry were there to help me and guide me through. They were willing to bend backwards for me during this chaos with my family affairs. And they told me they see these kinds of things every day. They were very understandable, caring, and easy to talk to, They really wanted to help me. Becuz planning a funeral and deciding to do burials or cremations range in prices, they made 2 lists for me and so I could compare the both. I am so grateful I stumbled onto this place. I am very happy I used them for my father's memorial. I would recommend. I know my father is happy with his service. If you know someone who needs a service please don't hesitate to call. They are extremely helpful and genuine people. read more

A sad occasion to be writing a review, but this place did a wonderful job with planning and holding our funeral. As a previous review mentioned, Dominic Tsui was a kind and helpful consultant. He and the rest of the staff truly conveyed a sincere caring for the customers who come here, especially in a time of such deep grieving and loss. Dominic sat with us for the initial consultation, which took a long time because we had many questions and decisions to make, but he was very patient and not pushy. He was able to speak in both English and Chinese, which helps multi-generational families and millennials like me. He was also conscious and careful around our budgetary concerns. He explained all the options for traditional Chinese customs -- they really have a lot of possibilities available on offer, a major plus -- as well as more modern customs and even made the both of them work together (we wanted both Christian and ancestral Chinese traditions in the same service). They have packages available for both Rose Hills and Forest Lawn cemeteries, where a lot of other Chinese families bury their loved ones, so you can be confident they know what they're doing and have done it successfully for years. Additionally, they managed family drama professionally and were glad to bear with us as the family was more high-strung than normal due to the stress of the event. "We see this kind of drama often," they said, making us feel at ease. The staff made the process seamless and coordinated our service, too. I was really surprised they all took the time to attend and even direct the ceremony because we all had no idea how to run a funeral service. They pulled out all the stops and even thought quickly on their feet when it turned out a few things went wrong (we were missing some flowers, etc.). Even the driver of the hearse was kind and pleasant to talk to, on the ride over to the cemetery. If you're in the position to consider Chung Wah's services, I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to respect their loved ones' Chinese traditions, or those who have a hard time communicating in English. (My deepest sympathies for those in the market for a funeral home, but Chung Wah will help you make the best of the situation. read more

This is a mixed review. We felt taken care of during the initial stages, going in and the guy explained everything to us and helped us secure a grave quickly with their connections. However, on the day of the service, we found that flowers were arranged in the wrong order with the flowers from family being separated, I thought as a Chinese "Chung Wah" funeral service they would know the order by seniority. So at the last minute, we had to ask the lady to change but she had attitude so I ended up doing it with everybody watching. The podium was also behind the flowers so the MC and I had to move it out from behind the flowers so people can see who was speaking. Then what was worst was we didn't know the mic wasn't on until the ceremony ended. That's an F for me, these are basic stuff that their staff didn't check and get the hall ready for us before the ceremony. These are just fundamental things that they just didn't check. It was quite outrageous. We were lucky that some of the people were loud naturally but there were people who were soft speakers and we couldn't hear them. It was a shame. I just can't believe as a pretty respected and old business they messed on the basic things that were quite essential for a funeral service. I still can't believe it. The dumbest thing was the staff themselves didn't know they didn't turn on the mic the whole time until one of us checked the mic at the end and switched back on. So if you use this place, go there extra early and that things are good because they staff their might fall asleep on their jobs. read more

My family recently used the services here, and although I did not take part in working directly with them, I was happy with the services held and the funeral. They were respectful of requests and very knowledgeable of cultural and traditional rituals. It has been a difficult time but they were responsive to our needs and remained very professional. I hope that we will not have to utilize their services again for a very long time, but I recommend this place. read more

Had a very bad experience with this place a couple weeks ago. My mother went in to sort arrangements and the director took advantage of her fragile state to upsell on the most ridiculous items. Our father had died the day before and she was very clearly distraught. The director manipulated her emotions, yet what we got in return was clearly very cheap. Be very careful with this place. They are a business first and foremost. read more

My mother died suddenly overnight at age 95. Ms. Penny Wong was our assigned counselor and did a top notch job from beginning to end, guiding us step-by-step, explaining everything very clearly, expediting the paperwork, returning phone calls immediately, and displaying great flexibility in meeting our special needs. For this our whole family is very grateful. All arrangements were flawless and went smoothly. We highly recommend this funeral home, and Penny in particular, to any family faced with the passing away of a loved one. Laura and Jerry Ogden read more

Universal Chung Wah Funeral Directors coordinated our mother's funeral to shipping her remains back to our hometown. I had had no previous experience with this company, so I was a little wary. However, I quickly realized that they were a trustworthy company. Their customer service is amazing, and they were very patient and compassionate with us during our difficult time. Everything went well back in our hometown, and it is all thanks to them. This company is incredibly underrated--their service, professionalism, respect, and compassion are all amazing (better than many of their competitors). Without them, I would not have been able to get through such a difficult time of my life. I greatly appreciate them, and I encourage people to choose their services over others. read more

Went there on last Saturday(10/26) & it was truly a let down. Well, I can't say it's entirely the funeral hoNW's fault because I'm not sure if the personnel involved were the staff of the facility. Hence I'm being fair by not giving less than three stars. The place was clean and comfortable. Parking lot wasn't all that, but it's Alhambra so finding a street space was fortunate enough. When we were about to go to the cemetery, we noticed no funeral stickers were mentioned so I proactively asked one of the escort guys on motorcycles for one, but this middle aged dude just coldly said "I don't have any stickers!" and took off! I had to ask another guy then got my freaken sticker to put on my car. Then when all was done at the cemetery, the host didn't tell us as other funeral staff would courteously do as a routine to turn our backs as the casket was being lowered(those who are Asians would understand). A lot of us were surprised that she didn't do that. I think this has something to do with both the funeral home & the cemetery because they hired these incompetent and much lack of compassion and understanding cold people. For future reference, please be a little bit more considerate on these areas. We appreciate especially when we're at one of our lowest and saddest moments. read more

Yes, I would agree with the other reviewers that it is strange to be writing this review. However, the services they provided my family were valuable and so important to us. They also performed everything professionally and wonderfully. They provided the space, professional chanters, supplies, casket, police detail, and coordination with Rose Hills. They also helped my Grandma look her best. We had an open casket ceremony and she really did look like she was sleeping. She didn't look like she did two weeks prior in the hospital: sick, pale, scared. Although the coordinators spoke Cantonese and Mandarin, it was helpful that our professional chanters spoke our Chinese dialect, Teochew. Our dialect is an intimate connection because there's so few of us who can speak the dialect. So it felt right that our chanters spoke to us in our dialect; it felt like they were an extension of our family somehow. They helped our family properly perform the ceremonial rites at the funeral home, at the grave site in Rose Hills, and even in the home of my Grandmother. We spent 4 hours on Saturday praying then 2 more hours Sunday morning praying, traveled to the grave site, traveled to Grandma's home, and then enjoyed a celebration of life by sharing a vegetarian lunch with our chanters. New to Chinese Funerals Guest Advice: - When you enter, sign the guest book and please donate money in an odd number amount using the white envelops. Funerals are very costly to the family. - Take a red envelop. Inside is small change to make sure you return home safely. Also inside is candy which must be consumed that day before going home. - Don't wear tight-fitting or short clothing. There is a lot of kneeling and bowing involved. Women, watch the cleavage. It's ok to wear jeans. - Avoid wearing metals like watches or jewelry. Not only is jewelry or other adornments discouraged at a funeral, there is a lot of joss paper burning and the fire can heat up metallic objects on your body. -Tissues are readily available in the pews - When the casket is being closed at the funeral home and lowered into the ground at the grave site, you MUST look away or simply turn your back. Watching it being closed and lowered is very unlucky. Grandchildren help with the burning of joss paper money. You can fan out the thin sheets of paper, making it easier to burn, by using your knuckles and twisting against the stack of paper. For those new to Chinese funerals, this helped me understand the process and proper rites http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_chinaway/2004-03/03/content_46092.htm read more

There's a tall man 30+ that works there, possibly with glasses and short hair, perhaps the director or manager. It's been about seven years and only now do I feel ready to talk about my horrible experience here. On the surface this man was nice and professional and I was very happy that he was taking care of my recently departed loved one. But when I was in a back hallway on my phone trying to distract myself, he came frolicking with a female employee past me and TOUCHED MY PHONE. I still remember his index finger sliding forward on my phone. Just who does he think he is to invade my personal space while I'm in mourning? He kept frolicking while laughing, and the female employee looked like she felt bad for me. I would've said something but unlike this man, and because I care about others, I didn't want to sour the mourning experience for the rest of my family and restrained myself. But that experience has forever ruined my opinion of this place which is a sad shame since I've had two family members buried here. I didn't need more bad memories, but I will try to leave them here. read more

We have had a few family members at this facility and they are considerate that my generation isn't familiar with the traditional Chinese burials. They had someone there to help and explain some of the traditions. Over all the experience was easy. They did a good job on the make up on my grandmother. read more

The director was very rude and made us all look at the casket being dropped just because he was jealous!

It's not that bad here. My grandpa's ceremony was held here and the people who set it up for us were alright. there are 3 restrooms right side at the entrance. This place also did a ceremony burial for reagan back in 2003 I think...or was it '04? but it's not bad. nobody did any shit talking behind your back if you were ABC. read more

I felt that the manager Henry Kwong was callous, uncooperative, uncaring and insincere. It has colored my view of this industry. We would not recommend going there. read more

My grandma's funeral and viewing was held here. They provided a small private room for us which was perfect for my small family. There are multiple rooms and also larger rooms. The viewing was from the morning till 4pm on a Tuesday.The burial was the next day at Rosehill. I suggest bringing someone that speaks Chinese here for better communication. I didn't understand what was going on, because they were speaking in Chinese. Other than that, they seem well organized and helpful with assisting in the traditional Chinese burial. read more