Amazing experience!! I felt so calm and staff is too kind and generous .Thank God for giving me the…read moreopportunity to be there .

Beautiful and serene place of worship. It was busy today because it is MLK day, yet it felt so…read morepeaceful and calm. Beautiful architecture and it was wonderful and centering to hear the monks chanting. They were also giving out free food for everyone, which was a nice gesture. Unlike some other places of worship that I've been to, where I am clearly not from the primary cohort of people who go there, this spot was very welcoming, and I did not feel out of place.

Absolutely spectacular! Tam Tu Metta Buddhist Temple and Heritage Garden is grand, beautiful, and…read moregenuinely awe inspiring. The towering Buddha and Bodhisattva statues, intricate architectural details, and peaceful gardens create an incredible atmosphere. I spent a good 30 minutes meditating here and found it a wonderful place to slow down, reflect, and enjoy some tranquility. One fascinating detail is that the two monumental statues of Amitabha Buddha and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva stand approximately 35 feet tall. The temple was founded in 2010 by Vietnamese Buddhist monk Venerable Thich Phap Chon, with a vision of preserving Buddhist teachings and Vietnamese cultural heritage for future generations. The grounds also feature Buddhist scriptures and teachings displayed on stone pillars throughout the garden. This is much more than a beautiful photo stop. It's a special place to experience peace, spirituality, and incredible artistry. A true hidden gem in Morgan Hill and well worth a visit.

Tam Tu Metta Buddhist Temple (Vietnamese style) in Morgan Hill, CA is definitely for people who…read moreenjoy walking around cultural sites underneath the hot sunshine and love visiting beautiful photo spots. The place has been closed for so long, especially during pandemic, but they are open to the public daily. Found a sign that shows open daily 9am-5pm these days. Only the main building is closed during weekdays, but open on weekends. Free parking & free admissions. Parking lot is wide and spacious. EV friendly. They are still doing renovations and maintenance work, but it's definitely worth visiting, especially if you like beautiful temples and views onsite. You can take and snap as many photos at the landscapes and buildings as desired. Plants and flowers are gorgeous. There's a small fruit stand across the street if you want to buy something nearby. Overall, cultural sites are beautiful landmarks, especially in California. Vietnamese Buddhism culture has grown and it gets even more exciting during important holiday celebrations. I'm really glad that the Tam Tu Metta Buddhist Temple is open now.

One of our favorite temple to come to during new years and to visit anytime of the year. Nicely…read moredecorated though parking can be chaotic

Excellent holiday vibes every year. Lots of community support and donations for them. This place is…read moretotally worth visiting during Lunar New Year, the busiest time around here filled with vibrant colors and beautiful views. Must give credit to good management and upkeep. Food vendors are great people and customers are pretty dedicated to making good vibes happen. Dining area is always packed on special holidays. It's a true blessing to have this place in the busy neighborhood. Their own parking lots can't fit many cars, so the best option is to find neighborhood street parking or retail parking spaces nearby and just walk over here. Heavy traffic on a rainy new year day is normal. Folks were burning incense/praying for the goodness and all the luck that new year can bring. There's all kinds of Vietnamese holiday foods/beverages/snacks to enjoy. All staffs young and old are hardworking here. Great place to celebrate. Most people come here for beautiful photo shoots since colorful lanterns and fresh flowers are displayed. $2/$3$/$5/$6/$7$10 cash can get you plenty of goodies. I wish the lot was much bigger because they can really accommodate a lot of people inside. It's great to see people enjoying after all these pandemic years. It's definitely a good blessing to walk around on new year of the fire horse year 2026. Strong and exciting place. Worth visiting annually.

Another or my 'lunch break' discoveries in San Jose! One day I passed by when driving and added to…read moremy mental list of places around to go. The other day I had a quick lunch at work and checked that this temple was just 7 minutes away...so perfect excuse to get some meditation going and get all spiritual for the rest of the day (and week for sure!). Needless to say that this temple being located 'in town' surprised me, but even more when I saw the gardens, so well taken care of and so welcoming! Giant fatty buddhas with generous smiles, luscious plants that will transport you to an exotic South Asian locale and, oh, food, they also give food! I did not dare to ask for anything, but surely the grandmas there were enjoying a free lunch! I read about it but for special occasions, but it looks like they do everyday. Fruits offered to deities or buddhas were super fresh. My understanding (for the writing I saw) is that this is a Vietnamese temple (which to me looks similar if not the same as the Thai ones i have visited around). In any case, my visit was mostly curiosity, to get a glimpse of another culture and a different way to lead a spiritual life and the pursuit of beauty.

My grandfather designed and built this house with his own two bare hands, back in the 40s. He owned…read morethe surrounding 100+ acres and farmed the land. until the late 1960s. When my grandparents passed away in the early 2000s, I thought developers were going to buy the land and knock everything down. Tu Lam Buddhist Temple bought it and completely preserved it! If the walls could talk, it would tell a beautiful story of family and friends with lots of love and laughter. I was raised in that house and I thank the temple from the bottom of my heart for saving it. Please enjoy when you visit!

San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin is located in Japantown, San Jose. I've really only gone here when…read morethey have the Obon Festival and they open up some of the surrounding buildings and have displays of banzai trees and plants, geisha paper dolls, calligraphy, etc. I have several friends and their families involved in the church league activities.

Community and Buddhism come to holistic togetherness at the Buddhist Church Betsuin in San Jose,…read moreCalifornia. I've gone to several services and dharma talks at this Buddhist Church and really enjoyed the experience. I was surprised about the similarities a the Sunday service here and what I experienced at christian churches. It felt very familiar. What is especially attractive about Buddhist Church Betsuin is the inclusiveness of the community. Everyone was really approachable and super friendly. There was absolutely no pushiness, which I really appreciated. Just openness and togetherness. There are many events that happen in and around the Buddhist Church. Japantown is vibrant and appears to becoming more and more popular. This Buddhist Church benefits the community because it anchors everyone into something entirely unique and special in San Jose.

Driven by a desire to visit this peaceful monastery, we drove 75 miles yesterday only to be met…read morewith total disappointment. The main entrance was completely chained up, and the grounds looked entirely deserted. While there are older mentions of a multi-year reconstruction project started around 2022, it is deeply frustrating that there is no current signage, status update, or warning for visitors. Their official website is primarily in Vietnamese, and the limited English sections make no mention whatsoever of a total public closure. If you are planning a trip here, please be warned that it appears closed to the public with no clear timeline for reopening or completion. I sincerely hope the temple management updates their online English platforms soon so other travelers don't waste hours on a long drive.

This Vietnamese buddhist temple is a great meditation center set on Mount Madonna in Watsonville…read morewhere the street ends on Summit Road, a scary drive for sure with seemingly endless twists and turns. When we got to the top, the sign said "closed due to construction work" but the gate was open, so we entered, and there was plenty of parking and we found several other visitors on site as well. The monastery and surrounding area were beautiful with tall trees, lots of greenery, so many buddha statues large and small, peacocks, deer, a gazebo, a restroom, areas for worship and prayer, and a dining area where we were invited to share a meal with the monks. But the place seemed lacking in maintenance and cleanliness, even considering that it was "under construction". To make matters worse, flies and mosquitos were abundant making it hard to have a snack outdoors. Also, though the animals on site added some charm to our visit, the cawing of the birds was relentless during the hour we were there. Besides that, the main draw was still the quietude in our surroundings. With the current "under construction" condition, I'm not sure it's worth the scary winding roads required to get here. That being said, it's a lovely place to visit, and I would certainly return on better days.

Small temple but treat everyone like family. They are also providing lunch for everyone without…read morecharged on the big event day.

It's such a peaceful and beautiful temple to visit. I came here on weekdays it's so quiet and feel…read moreclam during the visit .

I took my daughter to visit my Aunt, Cousin, and Dad today; their urns are there and I like the…read moreatmosphere over there.. calm, pleasant.. serene like a temple should be. Not to mention the bun bo hue chay is excellent.. normally served on Sundays..

I've been going here since I was a little girl. My family and I would go on Vietnamese new years…read moreand my mom and I like to go on Sundays as well. A few of my family members' ashes are kept safe here, which is another reason why I visit this temple. The monks here are so wonderful and the vegetarian food they have is delicious! They also have Vietnamese classes for kids. It's a wonderful place here that I will keep going to.

This temple may be smaller and is more of a humble setup than some of the more prominent temples in…read morethe Bay Area, but it is grand in ways that only a devout Buddhist may recognize. We came here for a Buddhist service for a loved one for the first time. There may be some communication challenges here and there since help at the temple mostly speaks Vietnamese with little English. Some of the monks also do not speak English; however, if you're patient, there is always a translator ready and happy to translate. We had the fortune to have met with the head monk, Thay Giac Minh, on our second visit. We understand that one doesn't see much of his presence outside of when he is leading a Sunday service. His English was good and easy to understand. He was wise, kind, and delighted to help us in planning for our family's ceremonies--no mention of donations or fees throughout the process, which we were pleasantly surprised since it has not been our experience with other local Buddhist temples we encountered. Contributions or gifts are of your own will; we never feel pressure. Recently, we were impressed by a large gathering for Vu Lan and how many people the temple could accommodate outdoors. Bottled waters were passed out for guests during a warm weather day, and storytelling and teaching from the monks, free entertainment, and excellent hot lunches were passed out to all attendees. Even though some of us do not speak Vietnamese, we can feel the humbleness and warm hospitality of the temple's volunteer staff, who worked hard on the day. As for the temple, vegetarian foods offers here, and we enjoyed everything we have here, from the offerings from ceremonies to purchases that one may make at the kitchen deli. There is a sign posted with the kitchen's offerings aside from what is in the deli cases. All purchases are cash-based. It was shared that most of the dishes were prepared by one of the monks, and he is good. It's a drive across town, but when we visit here, we always pick up some vegetarian foods from the kitchen for our dinner. We enjoyed the food, and it's an excellent way to support the temple. Most do not speak English, so bring your Vietnamese friend or practice patience; someone will help you with translation. Tip: Parking here on weekdays is ample but will be challenging on Sundays when services are given. If one does not want to drive around and park across the streets or down further in the neighborhood, park at a neighbor's parking two doors down from the temple, where there are metal fences, and a $5 parking fee will be accepted by its residents.

So very small but the simplicity & humbleness is what kind of makes Quan The Am Temple so beautiful…read moreIMO. While a lot of the reviews mention the kitchen and the temple's delicious food offerings, I can only base this review on the temple as a whole. Parking is rough on busy days and during Mid-Autumn Festival & Lunar New Year- for very obvious reasons. Street parking is an option but do expect a long walk. Perfect place to do some self reflecting or provide yourself with some "me" time.

If there were such a thing as a Disneyland for Buddhism in an American setting, the closest thing…read moreto that would probably be the Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB) sanctuary, nestled in the picturesque Santa Cruz Mountains near the quiet town of Soquel. I mean no disrespect by this (the organization calls itself a "Dharma Wonderland"), as the narrative below will make clear. Our visit had a dream-like quality to it. It was a weekday, with no scheduled events. As we wandered about, we encountered few people. The handful we did encounter were all very pleasant, exchanging greetings and information with us, as if we were all kindred spirits. It wasn't clear to us initially where the physical boundaries of LMB were. Just as we thought we had reached the end, we discovered yet another temple or other point of interest ahead. Each temple was different, in terms of style, purpose and size, as well as architecturally. The most impressive for me was the 100,000 Stupa, the Mahabodhi Temple replica, which looked like something out of an Indiana Jones adventure movie. That's the 39-foot-tall replica of the 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi Temple in India, where the Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment. But the most profound personal experience for me was provided by the Wish-Fulfilling Temple farther up the road. The gleaming golden Buddha standing off to the side emanated such a special aura of kindness and omniscience that I was inspired on the spot to do something I had never done outdoors before: I prayed. I prayed for several minutes, in fact (though I'm not even Buddhist). Prior to that, at other temple spots, we spun various prayer wheels, large and small. I pushed a large wooden column, suspended like a swing, into a heavy ornate bell several times. It emitted a "bong" that filled the surrounding wooded enclave with its strong yet soothing sound. Across from the bell was a gong, with two different instruments designed for striking it, hanging on either side. One had a solid soft plastic end to it, the other a fuzzy soft material obviously designed to produce a more muffled sound. Placards with background information and instructions for chants were posted in all appropriate places. I especially appreciated the fact that simplified versions of chants were provided, for those of us for whom the full chant phrases were too difficult to remember. Rustic benches made from split logs were available in various spots from which we could admire the views of the forested mountains nearby and in the distance. Most visitors will probably find the trail challenging -- if you hike to all the temples during your visit -- unless you're both young and in top shape. Here are a few other tips: * The road into LMB is one-lane only. If you meet a vehicle coming toward you from the opposite direction, one of you will have to pull off to the side to accommodate the other. This must be done very carefully, as the shoulders -- where they do exist -- are narrow and the drop from the side can be steep. * There is a food "truck" within the compound but it will not necessarily be open (it wasn't when we visited), so either bring your own food or plan to eat before or after you drive in. A vegetarian restaurant called "Pretty Good Advice" (covered in a separate review) is about 2.8 miles away from the entrance to LMB. * Read the information on the LMB website before going, to be able to fully appreciate your visit. We found no maps available at the compound, so I highly recommend that you print one out from the website. * At the very least, check the information on the LMB website before you drive there, to make sure it will be open. If an event is scheduled, keep in mind that parking is limited and make sure you feel up to the challenge. * You may not be approached by anyone to make the suggested $20 per vehicle donation but this can be done at the bookstore/gift shop near the compound's entrance (if you can't afford $20, then offer whatever you can). I have it on good authority that those who do so will be rewarded with good karma!

This really is a hidden gem. Land of Medicine Buddha Retreat had much more to explore and…read moreexperience than I expected. The hiking path was so beautiful, as I thought, but it also had things to see and read... and usually a place to sit while you ponder the Buddhist quote about life's philosophy. You pass not only tall Redwoods, but also a koi pond and tucked away buddhas from different Asian countries -- China, Tibet, India. There are also other areas to explore on the property, such as a meditation area, store and cafe, prayer area, drums and chimes, statues, and waterfall. There were also docents here and there whom you could talk to. (Note that the meditation area where the waterfall and statutes are located are fenced in and are only open at certain times.) There is a $20 entrance fee per car, but I think it is worth it for the upkeep of the property.