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.

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.

Been seeing this all over social media so I decided to check it out! Once you arrive, you need to…read moreexchange your cash into tokens which you then use to pay for food. Was definitely surprised by the quality and how much food you get for the price you pay for. For $40, I was able to get 2 drinks (Thai tea and Thai coffee), 2 entrees (pad Thai; Chinese broccoli and crispy pork belly over rice), 4 pork belly skewers, and mango sticky rice. Overall, was amazed by the experience and food here!

I've been going to the Wat Thai for years since I was a kid and it's incredible to see how much…read moretraffic and growth has occurred in recent years, largely due to a numer of reasons like the food court area and the tourism to Thailand. There is a lot of good food for very reasonable prices. I usually go to pray at the temple and then we head over to the food area. And on weekends, it can be super crowded. You exchange your dollars for tokens as the vendors don't accept cash. There is all the Thai staples like Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, and even Thai tea. Do note that parking can also get very crowded on weekends. So I park in the surrounding area. Cheers to the Wat Thai, as I hope there maybe we can be renovations to help with the upkeeping.

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

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!!!

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!

Love this place! Came here to listen to Dharma discourses and prostrate to the Buddha. And see what…read moreI found! All these cute little cats! The Buddhist nun said their mom gave birth to them and then left and never came back. So now they are taking care of the kittens.

Great place , peaceful and friendly. I've visited this temple many times and it really helps me…read morecalm my mind while learning about Buddhism. Highly recommended

After the funeral service at An Lac, we brought my uncle's spirit back to this temple to rest…read more Although this was only the second time I ever went to a Buddhist funeral service, the monks and nuns here did a very good job compare to other local temple. The space was also much bigger and they had the best vegetarian meal. We got 2 banquet tables reserved and were served heaps of delicious food that were as good if not better than traditional restaurants. I'm addicted to their egg rolls. We were also served bánh hỏi thịt quay chay, bánh bao vịt quay chay, rice vermicelli with hot pot chay, mì xào giòn chay, and a couple more dishes. They were all incredible. I'm still thinking about the food and wondering if it's sacrilege to reserve for regular party. If you come here for Buddhist related things, don't miss out on their food!

A very local, simple temple in the Westminster area. It does get very crowded during special or…read morecommemorative days. When you walk up the main steps, you will take off your shoes and place them amongst the many other pairs of shoes in the shoe area. On the special days and on their regular temple days, they have vegetarian dishes for purchase at the booth. I have gotten sick once from having some dish from here, but it didnt stop me returning more than once. Oh, and you cannot miss this temple - it's painted a really bright yellow on the outside. Street parking only, so be prepared to park a few short blocks away.

Great Sunday thai food market. The vendors are so friendly and nice. I'm here every weekend…read more(almost) for the thai papaya salad extra spicy and the chicken skewers. I've the stall with the crab fried rice super yummy. The front building with the thai boat noodles very tasty. The thai tea and thai coffee is good as well in the front as well. My goal is hopefully to try all the stalls but that will take weeks to come. Too much good food not enough stomach space. After the viral IGs and online recognition from influencers it has gotten more busy but worth it for the vendors. So happy to see them busy. Hoping this stays here for as long as possible.

Accidentally stumbled upon this temple on a Sunday to find out that they host a food market every…read moreSunday until 3pm! They operate on a token system, so be sure to bring cash or have Zelle ready to exchange for tokens ($1/token). They have a variety of food options, such as a beverage van selling regular/green Thai tea and coffee, as well as staples such as pad see ew and papaya salad. My favorites are the $1 pork skewers and the boat noodle, incredibly worth it and sooo flavorful! Honestly better than some of the restaurants I've had out there. For parking, if you don't want to park in the dirt, you might get lucky with a spot just outside of the entrance by the dead end (I've never had an issue parking at the curb there). The staff there are very friendly and sweet, and they usually have someone singing karaoke :) such a great place, highly recommend!

My family has been coming here for so long that the monks gave us all nicknames. This temple is…read morevery peaceful and a good place to unwind if you need to get away from the bustle of the city. They have a daily service from 10:30-noon for the community but you can request a short prayer service before or after depending on the monk's availability. If you're familiar with Thai Buddhist tradition and temple culture, people will bring a dish or more for the monks to bless and later partake in, offer up a blessing/alms for those who've passed, then everyone will pray together while the monks receive the offerings (basically eat lunch), then it's potluck time for visitors after. It's a very laid back temple, they do have classes for youngsters on the weekends, holiday events, can also host weddings and funeral prayer services. They have retreat style meditation and also have community fund raising events as well. Please be kind and respectful when visiting, help out when possible as there are no hired janitors, everyone pitches in to help when organizing the service and you will see the system if you look for it. P.S. No shoes are allowed in the praying/service rooms, available shoe shelves are right outside the doors before entering, the shoes should join the shoe community on the shelves...thanks.

Beautiful temple. Great Ceremonial events. Nice gardens. Willing to let anyone who would like to…read morehave a statue...