Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park — Attraction in Weaverville

I hate to be "that guy", but honestly, this place was a bit underwealming. Don't get me wrong, the temple is unique and has a very fascinating history, and aesthetically, it's the most beautiful one for sure, but it's very small, and there isn't a whole lot to see. I much prefer the one in Oroville. It may not be as aesthetically pleasing on the outside, but the interior is far more lavish, and it has more rooms and a massive museum with various artifacts and exhibits to explore. Also, you can walk around on your own without a guide, and you can walk right up to the main altar.

I must've visited the one in Oroville at least a dozen times, and I never get tired of it, because there is always something new to discover.

Don't get me wrong, having the guide is very ensightful, but I just don't understand the point of it being mandatory, when there isn't a whole lot to see here. And I feel it deters people from returning multiple times and also causes an inconvenience for people who are just passing through town, and don't have a lot of time. The temple should definitely be open for...

The Weaverville Joss House is the oldest continually-operating Chinese temple in California. Joss House opened its doors in 1874. State park historian Jack Frost says the word "Joss" is a name the Portuguese gave Chinese Taoist temples. California has many historic Joss Houses, but what makes the Weaverville Joss house the oldest temple is shipping records found on the shrine. It was made in Canton, China and shipped to San Francisco in 1873. Brought up the Sacramento River by riverboat. The gold rush of 1849--then the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the 1880s--brought Chinese immigrants by the thousands to California, but a number of those Chinese moved to Weaverville because it was safer. That's not to say racism and hate didn't find its way into Weaverville. During Mao's Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 70s, many of China's cultural artifacts were destroyed. As a result, the Weaverville Joss House is home to important items from China's past that can't be found elsewhere. It's still an active place to worship. Every week that I work here, I have...

Have a great time during the guided tour. Our guide is fun, knowledgeable and kind. Bring back so much memory when visiting this temple. Every illustration on the lantern is telling a story. One illustration is dating back 1200 years ago in Tang Dynasty. Do not feel like visiting a historic, distant-in-the-past building but feel connected and familiar, even it was built almost 150 years ago. Partly because the temple is still in use. Can smell the fragrance of joss sticks when entering the temple. Most Chinese characters (words) shown on banners and posters in the temple are written beautifully in calligraphy, an art requiring years of training and using writing brush and ink. Really impressed and overwhelmed by the cultural demonstrations in...