Hua Zang Si Temple, San Francisco
The dramatic multi-cultural facade of Hua Zang Si. Photo
B G.
Temple gate, with Chinese couplet praising the Buddhas.
Photo
Todd Lappin.
German cornerstone for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. John next to the bright red temple doors of Hua Zang Si. Photo
Todd Lappin.
Shakyamuni Buddha Hall on the ground floor. Photo
B G.
Detail of red doors with Chinese lions. Photo
Andrea Dell'Amico.
Location map and aerial view of Hua Zang Si Temple. For a larger interactive view, see our San Francisco Map.
A non-denominational Chinese Buddhist temple, Hua Zang Si is housed in an old Gothic church building in the Mission District of San Francisco. The temple, which opened in 2004, prides itself on the orthodoxy of its teachings and the rare splendor of its religious treasures.
History
The impressive building that houses Hua Zang Si was constructed shortly after 1900 as St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church. Built in a Gothic Revival style, the church served the local German immigrant community who worked at the tanneries and breweries along Precita Creek. The building narrowly escaped the fires that followed the great earthquake of 1906.
By the close of the 20th century, the European immigrant families that remained in San Francisco had mostly moved to the west of the city and the neighborhood welcomed a growing Latino community instead. In 1992, the congregation that met in St. John's Church voted to move to a church around the corner, which would be named St. Mary and St. Martha Lutheran Church.
The old Lutheran church was deconsecrated and became a private residence. Plans were underway to turn it into condominiums when the United International World Buddhism Association purchased it and the adjoining parish residence for $2.5 million in 2002. The church building was left intact but given a dramatic makeover with red paint, Chinese-style doors, and a fully remodeled interior.
The temple was opened on December 26, 2004, the birthday of Amidha Buddha, with a ceremony featuring rituals from various traditions. Dharma teacher Jue Hui, a representative of the World Buddhism Association, remarked in her speech:
Hua Zang Si strictly abides by the Tripitaka and the esoteric scriptures in its practice and teaching of the Dharma. Hua Zang Si does not adopt the viewpoint of any particular sect to the exclusion of other sects and does not distinguish between the various schools.... Thus, compared to other temples in the United States or the Western world, or compared to other temples in China or other Asian countries, Hua Zang Si is a very orthodox and authentic Buddhist temple. Hua Zang Si possesses the authentic, flawless, profound, and broad Buddha-dharma.2
Some attendees of the ceremony reporting seeing the Buddha Light in the night skies, indicating the Buddha's approval of the temple and its teachings.1
What to See
The building's multi-faith heritage is clearly in evidence on the wonderfully unique facade: the Gothic architecture is decorated with bright red paint and a German cornerstone referring to the apostles and Jesus Christ stands next to a Chinese text praising the Buddhas.
Inside, the nave has been remodeled to create the Sakyamuni Buddha Hall (also called the Precious Hall of the Great Heroes), dominated by a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, the historical Buddha whose teachings are the temple's primary focus. Made in Taiwan and reassembled in the temple, the statue receives daily offerings such as coffee, fruit, and even cans of Coke. Standing next to the Buddha is a warrior deity, Skanda Bodhisattva, who protects the temple from evil.
The second floor houses the Amitabha Buddha Hall, with a mandala, a Yun sculpture of Mt. Sumeru that contains Buddhist relics, and a 21-foot-tall statue of Amitabha that was also made in Taiwan. A thousand cups of water, changed daily, are offered before Amitabha, who is the central focus of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism.
An active place of worship and teaching, Hua Zang Si Temple is home to a community of about two dozen Buddhist nuns. Dressed in yellow and gray robes, they rise at 5am and stay up until midnight to meditatate, study, worship and interact with the local community.3
The religious instruction at Hua Zang Si is tailored to "the disciple's particular karmic conditions" and may include:
the dharma method of the Pure Land sect in which Amitabha Buddha's name is chanted; Zen meditation; the instantaneous and gradual realization methods; the essence of visualization of the Hua-yen school; methods of the consciousness-only or Fa-hsiang school; the four types of yoga as taught by the esoteric schools; the essence of Mahayana methods; and samatha or stabilizing meditation as taught by the Hinayana school.1
Quick Facts
Site Information |
| Names: | Hua Zang Si Temple; Huazangsi Temple |
| Location: | San Francisco, California, USA |
| Category: | Buddhist Temples |
| Faith: | Buddhism |
| Denomination: | Nondenominational |
| Status: | active |
| Architecture: | Gothic Revival |
Visitor Information |
| Coordinates: | 37.755742° N, 122.417377° W (view on Google Maps) |
| Address: | 3134 22nd St., San Francisco, CA 94110 |
| Phone: | (415) 920-9816 |
| Website: | www.huazangsi.org |
| Hours: | Daily 9am-6pm |
| Cost: | Free |
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Article Sources
Article written by Holly Hayes with reference to the following sources:
- Brief Introduction and Buddha Light - Huazangsi official website
- Hua Zang Si Opens in San Francisco - Zhaxi Zhuoma Website
- Vanessa Hua, "Buddha arrives in the Mission: German Lutheran church now serves growing Asian community." San Francisco Chronicle, December 31, 2004.
