Hsi Lai Temple, Buddhist temple in Hacienda Heights, California, United States
Hsi Lai is a Buddhist monastery in Hacienda Heights, California, that spreads across several hills and includes large ceremonial halls, meditation rooms, a library, and manicured courtyards with ponds. The compound follows a symmetrical plan with sweeping roofs of glazed orange tiles, timber columns, and stone lions marking the entrances at the gates.
A team from Taiwan designed this compound according to Fo Guang Shan principles, and construction ran from 1986 to 1988 under the direction of Master Hsing Yun. The completion marked the first major branch of this Buddhist movement outside Asia and served as a model for later sites in other Western countries.
This site belongs to the Fo Guang Shan movement, which teaches humanistic Buddhism in contemporary terms and involves laypeople through daily ceremonies and classes in meditation or calligraphy. Worshippers burn incense before the shrines and bow to golden Buddha statues in halls designed according to traditional Chinese temple architecture.
The grounds open daily in the morning and close in the late afternoon, with visitors able to observe ceremonies, join guided tours, or walk through the gardens. Shoes come off before entering the main halls, and vegetarian meals are available at the cafeteria.
The name means "coming to the West," chosen to signal the journey of Buddhist teachings from Asia to North America. A tall pagoda at the entrance houses relics and offers a view over the surrounding suburban landscape.
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