Laura A PEACEFUL PLACE TO VISIT.
| City | Hacienda Heights |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| Parking | Free |
| Audience | All Ages |
| Visited | 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm |
| Gift Store | Yes |
| Dining Hall | Yes |
| Bathroom | Yes |
| Website | https://www.hsilai.us/ |
Our Visit
My husband Jason had visited Hsi Lai Temple many years ago and wanted to take the kids and I to see it. It was a great cultural experience for us and one that we all enjoyed in several ways.
Here are some reasons why we liked visiting this Monastery:
- It’s large, quiet, and peaceful.
- The grounds are lovely for walking, with beautiful statues and plants.
- We liked the smell of incense being burned near the shrine.
- There’s a dining hall, book store, and tea room to enjoy.
- Fresh pastries were baked and sold outside of the dining hall area.
- We observed a monk leading others through a time of meditation.
- We observed others’ religious practices in the Main Shrine.
- The people who worked there were friendly and spoke English.
Activities Offered for an Additional Fee
- Dining Hall
- $10 per plate, all you can eat.
- Pictures of food and reviews: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hsi-lai-temple-vegetarian-buffet-hacienda-heights
- Open Hours: https://www.hsilai.us/visit/home#buffet
- Gifts to purchase in the Tea Room / Bookstore.
- Freshly baked pastries: $2 per pastry
- Jamaica Tea: $5
Unfortunately, we didn’t go to the Dining Hall this time but hope to make another trip out there soon. For now, read the Yelp reviews above to learn more about the kind of buffet food being served.
We did try their fresh pastries, sold outside of the Dining Hall. It was fun to watch the bakers make the pastries and then try them. Between the two filling choices offered, custard and red bean, we voted for custard as a favorite.
Details We Discovered
- Parking lot
- The lot was full during dining hall hours.
- We found parking in the neighborhood next to the Temple.
- Dining Hall
- Each person who enters must purchase a plate and eat inside.
- They serve an all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet.
- Hsi Lai Art Gallery
- Masks are required and provided at entry.
- Community activities
- A variety of involvement activities are posted at the Monastery throughout the week.
Additional Information
- They ask for no sleeveless shirts/blouses, tank tops, shorts, short skirts or sandals.
- What we learned from our visit is that shorts are okay to wear outside, but if you go into the Main Shrine, long pants are strongly encouraged.
- While we did see some elevators, I would prepare for walking and using stairs to see the entire Monastery.
Final Thoughts
The kids and I had no idea what to expect before we visited Hsi Lai Temples. We found this experience to be a memorable one for us all. The peaceful environment, pleasant smell of burning incense, as well as the pastries, were some of the highlights from our visit.
Have you been to Hsi Lai Temple?
If so, please comment below with your own personal experience. We’d love to hear the highlights from your visit.
