Hsi Lai Temple
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Hsi Lai Temple is the largest Buddhist temple and monastery in the United States. It is located on the foothills of Hacienda Heights, California, a suburb of Los Angeles.
The temple was finished in 1988 with construction costing $10 million. During the 1980s, the plans for construction of Hsi Lai were considered controversial, especially for local white residents who felt it didn't belong there and opposed it (the city now has fewer whites as Asians and Latinos have taken their place). The Taiwanese religious organization Fo Guang Shan, led by Master Hsing Yun, has its North American headquarters at Hsi Lai Temple.
The temple mainly attracts local Chinese-American Buddhists but the general public is welcome provided they abide and respect the rules of the temple (e.g., shorts and mini-skirts may not be worn and definitely no meat).
During the 1996 presidential campaign, Vice President Al Gore held a controversial fundraiser at Hsi Lai. In this context, Hsi Lai was often referred to in the media as simply "the Buddhist temple".
To court the Chinese-American community in the San Gabriel Valley, the temple was a venue during the campaign of the Mexican American Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca.
Another large Buddhist temple is Pao Fa Temple in Irvine, California.