| Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park | |
|---|---|
-L1007085.jpg) Joss House in May 2025 | |
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| Location | Weaverville, California |
| Coordinates | 40°43′52″N122°56′27″W / 40.7311°N 122.9408°W /40.7311; -122.9408 |
| Governing body | State of California |
| Reference no. | 709[1] |
Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park is astate park located in the center of the town ofWeaverville, California. The site is aTaoist temple which is still in use, and is the oldestChinese temple in California.
The original temple was built in 1853 by Chinese goldminers during theCalifornia gold rush.[2][3][4]
The current building, calledThe 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 theChinese 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 inChina.
Much of the material on display inside the temple includes temple equipment, objects of Chinese art, and clay statues.
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Each year, to celebrate theChinese New Year, alion 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 ofMain Street (California State Route 299) and Oregon Street in Weaverville.