Thien Hau Temple (Los Angeles) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thien Hau Temple |
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天后宮
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Thien Hau Temple
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| Religion | |
| Deity | Mazu |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 羅省華埠天后宮 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 罗省华埠天后宫 | ||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Heavenly Empress Palace of Los Angeles Chinatown | ||||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||
| Vietnamese | Chùa Bà Thiên Hậu | ||||||||||||
| Chữ Hán | 天后宫 | ||||||||||||
The Thien Hau Temple is a special Chinese temple in Los Angeles, California. It's found in the lively area called Chinatown. This temple is mainly dedicated to Mazu, who is known as the goddess of the ocean. Many people, especially those from Asian backgrounds, visit this temple to worship or just to see its beauty. Besides Mazu, the temple also honors other important figures. These include Guan Sheng Di Jun, a brave warrior known for justice, and Fu De Zheng Shen, a deity of wealth.
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Temple History: From Church to Temple
The Thien Hau Temple is connected to the Camau Association of America. This group helps people from Vietnam, especially those from Cà Mau Province. They also support Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai Chinese communities.
The temple building has an interesting past. It used to be an Italian Christian church! This old church was located in an area once known as Little Italy. In the 1980s, the Camau Association bought the building.
Building a New Home for Worship
People in and around Chinatown really wanted a bigger temple. They had strong faith and worked together. Many people donated money to help build a new, larger temple hall. The construction finished in September 2005. After that, a special ancestral memorial hall was also opened. This hall is a place to remember ancestors.
Festivals and Celebrations
The Thien Hau Temple is a very lively place, especially during special holidays. It's extra festive on the days when different deities are honored, like Mazu.
Chinese New Year Fun
One of the biggest events is Chinese New Year's Eve. People from many communities come together. They receive blessings and burn incense to honor the deities. You can see exciting lion dances and hear loud firecrackers. These are used to scare away any bad spirits.
Representatives from over 25 family groups in Chinatown join in. They light firecrackers exactly at midnight. Because the temple is in the middle of Chinatown, it's like the local "Times Square" for New Year's. Many people visit the temple during the first week of the New Year. They come to get a blessing for the year ahead. On the last day of the New Year celebrations, people return. They pray to Mazu for her blessings and protection for the rest of the year.
In recent years, many non-Asian visitors have also joined the New Year celebrations. They come to experience the fun and traditions.
Other Temple Activities
On weekends and on the 1st and 15th day of the lunar calendar, the temple offers free food. Visitors can choose to give a donation if they wish. The temple also holds a special ceremony in the summer. This is called the Zhong Yuan Festival.
Sadly, in 2020, the temple had to cancel all its services. This was the first time in its history. It happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
