Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park

Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park
Joss House in May 2025
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Location	Weaverville, California
Coordinates	40°43′52″N 122°56′27″W / 40.7311°N 122.9408°W / 40.7311; -122.9408
Governing body	State of California

California Historical Landmark
Reference no.	709^[1]

Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park is a state park located in the center of the town of Weaverville, California. The site is a Taoist temple which is still in use, and is the oldest Chinese temple in California.

History

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The original temple was built in 1853 by Chinese goldminers during the California gold rush.^[2]^[3]^[4]

The current building, called The Temple among the Forest beneath the Clouds (雲林廟), was built in 1874 to replace earlier structures which had been destroyed by fires. In 1934, much of the material in the building was taken during a robbery. The state decided that, in order to protect the historic nature of the material, a local resident, Moon Lim Lee, would be named trustee for the site. In 1956,after Moon Lim Lee fought tirelessly advocating for the site to become a state park, the site officially became a state historic site.

In 1989, a box was left at the visitor center. It contained one of the Chinese Guardian Lions which had been stolen in the 1934 theft. The state of California commissioned a new pair of dogs to place on display in the temple. The new dogs were created by traditional craftsmen in China.

Much of the material on display inside the temple includes temple equipment, objects of Chinese art, and clay statues.

Current temple

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Each year, to celebrate the Chinese New Year, a lion dance is performed.

The interior of the temple remains the same as it looked when it was built, although safety railings and electric lights have been added. On the grounds, there is a recently added parking lot, visitor center, and reflecting pool. Worship is still practiced at the temple. The temple is located at the southwest corner of Main Street (California State Route 299) and Oregon Street in Weaverville.

References

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^ "Weaverville Joss House". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
^ Bartell, John (October 7, 2019). "California's oldest Chinese temple still thriving". Bartell's Backroads. ABC10. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
^ "The Temple".
^ "Celebration set in Weaverville," The Press-Tribune, July 3, 1974, pg 6.

External links

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v t e Chinese American museums in the United States
Forbidden Gardens Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum Mai Wah Museum Museum of Chinese in America Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park Wing Luke Museum Wo Hing Society Hall

Protected areas of California

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