Hsi Lai is a traditional Chinese Buddhist mountain monastery in the United States. It is located on the foothill region of Hacienda Heights, California, USA, a suburb of Los Angeles County. The name “Hsi Lai” means Coming West in the sense of the “Great Buddhadharma Coming West.”

A  Great Place to Visit

The temple is affiliated with one of Taiwan’s largest religious organizations, the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order. It is one of the first overseas branch temples, and is often called the “Western torch of Dharma” by order members. Hsi Lai was the site of the founding of Buddha’s Light International Association, established in 1991. The temple, like its mother temple in Taiwan, practices Humanistic Buddhism, which incorporates all of the eight traditional schools of Chinese Buddhism – especially the Linji Chan and Pure Land schools – to provide guidance deemed most useful to modern life.

Brief  History  of  The Temple

Hsi Lai Temple, located in Hacienda Heights (near Los Angeles), California, was built in 1988. Its purpose is to serve as a spiritual and cultural center for those interested in learning more about Buddhism and the Chinese culture. It is the idea of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of this Temple, to propagate “Humanistic Buddhism” and to create a pure land here on earth.

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What is the meaning of Hsi Lai?

The words, Hsi Lai, in Chinese means “coming to the West”. It signifies that Buddhism is coming to the West from the East. The Temple is a monasterial operation of the International Buddhist Progress Society, a nonprofit organization incorporated in California.

The Architecture

The Temple has the traditional architecture of ancient Chinese monasteries, yet it is equipped with state of the art facilities. Construction material for this Temple came from many countries including Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Italy, and the United States. This $30 million Temple, on 15 acres of land, was financed by donations from Buddhist devotees from around the world.

The largest Chinese temple in the United States, Hsi Lai Temple covers 15 acres. It is designed in accordance with Ming (1268-1644 AD) and Ching (1644-1911) dynasty Chinese architecture, and includes several traditional temple buildings, gardens and statuary. The buildings include: a pagoda, a large main shrine building, a bodhisattva shrine, classrooms, a tea room, garden, museum, vegetarian cafeteria, and gift shop. The official website provides an excellent map of the complex.

About   Hsi Lai Temple

The main shrine is the most important building in the temple; it is dedicated to Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha. At the front of the shrine are three large Buddha statues: Sakaymuni Buddha in the center; Amitabha Buddha on the left; and the Medicine Buddha on the right. The latter two Buddhas are especially venerated in Pure Land Buddhism.

Across the courtyard, the Bodhisattva Hall contains statues of the five main bodhisattvas and is entered through three doors representing the Three Jewels or Refuges (the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha).

Services

Hsi Lai is a working monastery in addition to a temple, with a number of monks and nuns living in the complex. The monks and nuns of Hsi Lai provide a variety of classes and special events, including weekly lectures on Buddhism and classes as well as workshops on Chinese culture and language. There are weekly prayer services at Hsi Lai Temple on Saturdays and Sundays, including the recitation of the Diamond Sutra and Amitabha Sutra. Meditation sessions are also held, as well as week-long meditation retreats. See the calendar of events for details.

Visitor Timings

Hsi Lai Temple welcomes visitors (see below for hours and directions) and audio guides on a Walkman are available at the Information Center. Guided tours are provided for groups of 15 people or more (call ahead). The cafeteria serves a Chinese and Taiwanese home-style cooking vegetarian lunch buffet and salad bar for $5 from 11am to 1pm.

http://blogs.uscannenberg.org/cheryl_dablo/2009/04/living-vegetarian-at-hsi-lai-t.html

http://www.yuleshow.com/weblog/2003/06/hsi-lai-temple.html

http://dannyfisher.org/2010/04/08/in-los-angeles-wanna-visit-hsi-lai-temple-and-hear-me-give-a-talk-then-its-your-lucky-day/

http://dannyfisher.org/2007/02/01/hsi-lai-temple/

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One of the world’s finest art collections, reflecting the extraordinary effort and vision of its founder, it stands as a tribute to Human Civilizations, the visual arts and the nobility of individual accomplishment.

With its Frank Gehry designed interior and wonderful collection of masterpieces by Degas, Picasso, Rembrandt, Goya and Rodin, the Norton Simon is the best kept secret in Los Angeles. The house is set in beautiful gardens and exhibits one of the most superb private collections of American, European and Asian art in the world. A recorded guide is available and worthwhile.

The Norton Simon Museum is known around the world as one of the most remarkable private art collections ever assembled.

The grounds of the Museum have a long history of beautiful gardens. The original garden was planted in the 1870s when Dr. Ezra and Jeanne Carr created Carmelita. It was the most extensive garden in Pasadena, filled with plants from all over the world

Address: 411 W. Colorado Blvd

Opening hours: Closed Tuesdays

Phone: +1 (0)626 4496840

Tickets: $8, $4 concession. Under 18 free.

Internet: http://www.nortonsimon.org/

More information: Neighborhood: Pasadena

The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden is located at 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA, 91007.

Open daily from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm; admission closes at 4:30 pm. Arboretum members are admitted free. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors (62 and over), $5 for students with ID,and $2.50 for children 5- 12. Children under 5 are admitted free. Parking is free. The Arboretum is a 127-acre botanical garden and historical site jointly operated by the Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. For more information, call 626-821-3222.

The Arboretum is a 127- acre botanical garden and historical site jointly operated by the Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.

For more information call 626-821-3222.

Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., grounds close at 5:00p.m.
The Arboretum opens at 8:00 am for members

Admission: Adults…………………. .. ……..$7
Students and Seniors…………$5
Children Ages 5- 12………….. $2.50
Children Under 5………………Free
Admission free on the third Tuesday of the month (No tram on these days)
Cashiers can accept payments of cash, and personal checks from California
There are no credit payments at this time.
Library: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m p.m. M- F, Every other saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. S, Sun

Food: The Peacock Cafe, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tue. to Sun.
The Cafe is closed on Mondays
(626)447-0641
Peacock Cafe is available for catering.

Gift Shop: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (626) 447- 8751
Tram: The Arboretum is currently making improvements to the tram road, so the tram is temporarily out of service.
Please call (626) 821-3222 prior to your visit or check this webpage for updates.

Closed December 25th.
Location: Just south of I-210, Foothill Freeway at 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, across from the Santa Anita Race Track.

Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences
Academy Foundation
8949 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, California 90211
Phone: 310-247-3000

The Aquarium of the Pacific is one of the largest aquariums in the United States. Its more than 500 species fill 19 major habitats and 32 focus exhibits and take visitors on a journey throughout the Pacific Ocean’s three regions: Southern California/Baja, the Tropical Pacific, and the Northern Pacific.

The Aquarium is anchor to the The Pike at Rainbow Harbor, the largest waterfront development in California history. Visitors to the Aquarium can take advantage of the surrounding Long Beach area. Located only minutes from trendy Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach, the Long Beach Convention Center, the Queen Mary, Belmont Shore (Long Beach’s charming beach community), and hotels, tourists will find the Aquarium convenient to anywhere in Long Beach they wish to visit. For more information on Long Beach please visit the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Guests with visual disabilities can check out a free audio tour from the Information Desk to enhance their visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Service animals are welcome, but non-service animals are not permitted in the Aquarium.

Prices & Hours
Hours
Open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day of the year, except December 25 and during the weekend of the Grand Prix of Long Beach (April 18-20, 2008). Shark Lagoon exhibit is open and free to the public from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. every Friday through June 13, 2008.

Address
100 Aquarium Way
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 590-3100

Admission
You may purchase Aquarium tickets upon your arrival at our ticket windows in front of the Aquarium. You may also call (562) 590-3100, or order your tickets online NOW and SAVE $5 PER ADULT ticket. The Aquarium accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

Aquarium Admission
Aquarium admission includes all the galleries, hands-on labs, and presentations as noted on the daily handout.

Adult: $20.95
Child (3-11): $11.95
Senior (62+): $17.95

Aquarium Admission Plus Behind-The-Scenes Tour (Ages 7 and up only)
Enjoy the Aquarium, then discover what goes on behind the scenes! Now you can see it all in a one hour guided tour.

Adult: $31.95 (Value $35.95)
Child (7-11): $23.95 (Value $26.95)
Senior (62+): $29.95 (Value $32.95)

NEW – Aquarium Admission Plus Harbor Tour
Tour the Long Beach/Los Angeles Harbors with Harbor Breeze Cruises for a 45-minute narrated cruise around one of the most active ports in the world. See the downtown shoreline, ocean vistas, ships from around the world, and even sea lions. Tours are offered daily throughout the day. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling 562-590-3100, ext. 0 or at the ticket window.

Adult: $28.95
Child (3-11): $14.95
Senior (62+): $23.95

Member Prices:
Adult: $10
Child (3-11): $5
Senior (62+): $8

Additional Information
The Aquarium of the Pacific is happy to provide wheelchairs free of charge.

As a special incentive to our visitors who would enjoy experiencing both the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Queen Mary, we offer a combined ticket package. This special offer is available for advance purchase by calling our Aquarium ticket office at (562) 590-3100. Tickets may also be purchased at the Aquarium and/or the Queen Mary.

Adult: $35.00 (regular combined price $44.70)
Child (3-11): $19.00 (regular combined price $22.90)

Have you visited the Museum yet?

The Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum has now been open for four years. The grand opening of the Museum was on October 20, 2001. The Ruth and Charles Gilb Foundation donated $400,000 to kick off the fund raising campaign for the new museum. Major donors include the City of Arcadia, H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation, Oak Tree Racing Association, and Santa Anita Park. Community organizations and citizens contributed generously to the building fund.

But today’s wonderful Museum wasn’t the first historical museum in Arcadia! When the Parker Lyon Pony Express Museum was dismantled in 1955 to make way for the Flamingo Hotel at 130 West Huntington Drive, the Pony Express Indian Trading Post building was moved to the Arcadia County Park for use as a Museum and placed on a concrete slab that the Department of Parks and Recreation had installed. This was to be a joint project of the Arcadia Historical Society and the County Park. However, the endeavor was short lived, due to the lack of plumbing in the building and vandalism.

The Arcadia Historical Society opened the second historical museum on April 10, 1988. The American Savings and Loan Association’s temporary bank building on Santa Anita Avenue was donated to the City for the specific purpose of a museum. The Ahmanson Foundation donated the funds necessary to move the building to the Rose Garden in the County Park. Because of a clause in the County’s original 1935 contract with the United States government to acquire the land, County Supervisors had to have approval from the Secretary of the Army and the Corps of Engineers before transferring ownership to Arcadia. In other words, it took an act of Congress and President Reagan’s signature on Army Title Seven, Section 2722 on the General Provision Military Construction Authorization Bill to transfer title to the City!

The Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum always welcomes donations of photographs and memorabilia related to the history of Arcadia.

ArcLight Hollywood 6360 W. Sunset Blvd (between Vine and Ivar, with DeLongpre to the south) Los Angeles, CA Click here for Driving Directions Parking Information ArcLight Hollywood is directly adjacent to a seven-level parking garage.
Self-park entrances are off Ivar to the west, DeLongpre to the south and off Sunset, just east of the Cinerama Dome. ArcLight offers validation with purchase of a movie ticket – your first four hours are $2 with purchase of a regular cinema ticket, and only $2.50 with purchase of a film festival or other special event ticket. Parking is validated for 1 hour free with purchase in the café bar or gift shop. There is a maximum of 4 hours total validation.

Regular rates apply after validation period with a maximum total charge of $6.00 per visit.
Please note that during periods of peak demand the parking lot adjacent to ArcLight will reach capacity. Alternative non-validated parking is available across the street at the Sunset & Vine development and metered and non-metered spaces are available on surrounding streets.

ArcLight cinemas makes every movie better. In fact, that’s the idea that inspired us to create a more complete movie-going experience. You can preview ArcLight’s design, amenities, service, and programming at www.arclightexperience.com. All-reserved seating makes waiting in “hold-out” lines a thing of the past, and there’s no more need to rush to the auditorium to save seats. You can even select your seats and purchase and print your tickets online or at automated kiosks.

Film programming is directed to the discerning moviegoer, with a mix of new-release blockbusters, specialty, and retrospective product. In addition, films are augmented from time to time with speaker presentations. Be sure to review the “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” sections to see what’s currently planned. The experience inside the cinema auditorium is ArcLight’s focal point. Designed to exceed THX standards of presentation excellence, ArcLight auditoriums begin with a “black box” design aesthetic which favors undistracted viewing over opulence, and feature the best in sight and sound technology, allowing films to be presented as the filmmakers intend. Auditorium comfort levels are unsurpassed. All cinema chairs are 3 inches wider than current megaplex standards, with 6 inches more legroom. Even the retractable armrests are “double-wide”. The ArcLight café bar is perfect for a quick meal before or after a movie, but can be enjoyed just for meeting friends for martinis and appetizers, a business lunch, or animated discussions over dessert and coffee..

The snack bar features our signature popcorns – movie-theater-style with real butter on request, and our fresh-made caramel corn. Extend your cinema experience perusing our art and cinema exhibits, or browsing the ArcLight gift shop for the perfect gift for a cinephile friend. At ArcLight Hollywood, you’ll also find the Cinerama Dome. ArcLight’s Cinerama Dome (a unique, geodesic shaped theatre originally built in 1963) has been upgraded acoustically with the finest industry projection and sound systems installed. The seats and aisle spacing are wider, while still respecting the orginal 1960’s “look and feel,” seating layout, and huge, curved screen. (See The Dome below for more details.) The café balcony at ArcLight Hollywood, with a killer view of the Cinerama Dome and the action in the lobby below, is available weekdays for private party rentals.

The Catalina Island Museum celebrates the Island’s rich cultural heritage. Current exhibits include an award-winning exhibit featuring the romantic era of Catalina’s steamships, Native Americans, a large relief map of the Island, Avalon’s evolution into a resort community, Catalina pottery and tile, early communication, sportfishing, the Chicago Cubs spring training, and much more!

Events include an annual Silent Film Benefit in June, Catalina Pottery & Tile Extravaganza and Exhibit during the month of September, an annual display of beautiful plein air paintings October – December, the holiday open house at the Inn on Mt. Ada in early December, and locally broadcast Telethon in late February.

The Museum Store features a wonderful selection of items to remember Catalina by: books, videos, nautical items, and a fabulous selection of fun and educational children’s items.

Research facilities are available by appointment: 310.510.2414. Please ask for our Curator.

They are open all year round: Daily 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. April-December, Closed Thursdays January – March. Closed Christmas Day. Admission: $4.00 Adults, $3.00 Seniors, $1.00 children. We are located in the world famous Casino Building, ground floor, facing the bay.

The Citadel building was built in 1929 as the Samson Tire and Rubber Company. Only two years later US Tire and Rubber Company ( Uniroyal Tire) took over and produced up to 6,000 tires and 10,000 tubes a day. The Assyrian-style castle wall used as a backdrop in the 1959 epic movie, Ben Hur. The Citadel opened in November 1990 as a mixed-use project which includes a retail outlet center, a food court, five office buildings, and a 201-room Double Tree Hotel. A visit to the outlet mall will take about a half a day plus travel time.

Only in Los Angeles can you drive to an Assyrian palace to buy blue jeans and leather goods. The Citadel Outlets, Los Angeles’ only outlet center, has the distinct honor to be located behind an Assryian Castle wall. The Citadel opened in November 1990 as a mixed-use project which includes a retail outlet center, a food court, five office buildings, and a 201-room Double Tree Hotel.

DIRECTIONS: The address of the Egyptian Theatre is 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, between Las Palmas and McCadden, just east of Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Selma Avenue is just south of the theatre. The Egyptian is a very short walk east from the Hollywood & Highland

General Admission $10.00 (unless otherwise noted).
Cinematheque Members $7.00. Seniors 65+/Students w/valid ID $8.
Separate admission for each program unless indicated as a double feature. No late seating, refunds, or exchanges.

Charles E. Toberman developed the Egyptian in 1922 with impresario Sid Grauman. The renovation by the American Cinematheque will be completed in December 1998.

The theatre originally cost $800,000 to build and took 18 months. The renovation cost $12.9 million.

Architects Meyer & Holler designed the Egyptian Theatre. The Milwaukee Building Company built it. Architects Hodgetts + Fung were the project architects for the renovation. Turner Construction is the contractor.

The address 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, now the site of the Egyptian Theatre, was once the address of Gilbert F. Stevenson and his wife. In 1903, Stevenson, the Secretary and General Manager of the Western Masons Mutual Life Insurance Association, moved from downtown Los Angeles to a five acre lemon ranch on the corner of Prospect (now Hollywood Boulevard) and Dakota (now McCadden Place) Avenues.

Between 1910 and 1920 the population of Hollywood increased from 5,000 to 36,000, while agriculture was practically abandoned, being replaced by business and high-class residences, bungalow courts and apartments. Today’s population is 281,000 (according to a 1993 census).

Charles E. Toberman, arguably the most important real estate developer in Hollywood in 1920, was looking for someone to bring a grand, first class motion picture theatre – like those prevalent in the downtown area — to Hollywood. No one was more noted for this kind of extravagance than Sid Grauman, who, within just a few short years in Los Angeles (he migrated from San Francisco), had built the deluxe, downtown Los Angeles movie palaces, the Million Dollar, the Rialto and the Metropolitan (completed around the time Toberman approached him about building in Hollywood). Grauman agreed to come to Hollywood and Toberman acquired the 6712 Hollywood Boulevard site from his old lodge buddy, Stevenson, who had left his lemon ranch for the Miramar Hotel (which he owned) in Santa Monica. The many Hollywood structures Toberman is responsible for include the El Capitan; Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, all built in 1926, and all still standing today.

King Tutankhamen’s tomb was discovered in Egypt on November 26, 1922 and an Egyptian craze swept the nation.

The four massive columns that mark the theatre’s main entrance are 4 feet wide and rise twenty feet. On the roof, an actor attired as an Egyptian guard, marched back and forth across the roof parapet with a rifle in hand – calling out the start of each performance.

The original seating capacity of the theatre was close to 2,071 in a 115 by 125 foot auditorium. The renovated Egyptian will have a seating capacity of 650 in the Lloyd E. Rigler theatre and there will be an 83-seat capacity in the Steven Spielberg theatre.