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Kong Chow Temple

4.0 (11 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

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Review Highlights - Kong Chow Temple

I was looking for a typical Asian temple building with design and incense flowing off to the sky.

Mentioned in 4 reviews

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MA Tsu Temple of USA - Beautiful Temple hidden away in an anonymous Chinatown Alley

MA Tsu Temple of USA

3.8(4 reviews)
0.2 miChinatown

I went by and saw the gates closed. I called multiple times and even texted the number but no…read moreresponse. It says that it's open for public but when I finally got the lady's attention from inside she was so rude. Looked at me like I was crazy and very unwelcome. I was just trying to learn about the culture/ religion but instead got sent away.

A confession: I have never been *inside* of the Ma Tsu Temple, and it's highly unlikely that I ever…read morewill (or can) go inside, not being a Taoist or of Asian ancestry. The temple is small inside, and I would be conspicuous, to say the least! In some ways, that's a shame, but then again -- some romantic notions are best maintained from the outside, lest they be displaced by a cheesy reality. But I am fascinated by the remnants of old Chinatown that have survived, and the Ma Tsu Temple is a very evocative example. A 3-storey brick building, it's the only thing of real interest in the alley, which makes its impact all the more striking. As you approach the Temple from Jackson or Pacific -- especially at night -- it is quite a dramatic sight, with about 40 spherical red lanterns hanging on the fire escape, glowing in the dark and gently swaying. The interior is a profusion of red and gold glitz with an altar and a number of small shrines. Ma Tsu (AKA Mazu) is an indigenous goddess figure worshiped in southeast Asian coastal areas -- especially the islands in the Straits of Taiwan. A goddess of the sea, she is believed to protect fishermen, sailors and those who travel by sea. Considering that all early Chinese emigrants to San Francisco reached these shores by sea, it's hardly surprising that some of them, grateful for a safe passage, would establish a temple in her honor here. If you find yourself in the neighborhood at night, take a walk over to Beckett Alley, stand near the Temple and let its dusty old Chinatown magic cast a spell over you.

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MA Tsu Temple of USA
MA Tsu Temple of USA
MA Tsu Temple of USA - Entrance to the temple

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Entrance to the temple

Kong Chow Temple - buddhist_temples - Updated May 2026

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