Teo Chew Temple - Houston, TX
It was a quiet Thursday evening. And, I am spending my Thursday evening like I spend most of my Thursday evenings: eating tater tots and scrolling through Instagram.
As I am swiping through selfies, food photos and digital art, something seizes my attention. Behold, the beauty of a temple that I have never seen before. I’m intrigued and initiate the reading of the caption. The temple is called the Teo Chew temple and it is located right in Houston, TX. My mouth dropped, almost relinquishing the remains of a half-chewed tater tot. I knew immediately that I needed to visit this place.
The Teo Chew Temple is a Vietnamese Buddhist Temple located at 10599 Turtlewood Ct in the HTX. Before arriving, I did my research to make sure that I don’t do anything disrespectful. I take this very seriously when visiting places that represent international cultures, especially temples. The Temple is free and open to the public. Modest dress is required: no shorts or tank tops, modest dresses or pants. FYI, I wore black pants, a grey sweater, an orange head wrap and peach colored Crocs. That sounds tacky, but I made it work.
Admission and parking are free. However, you will notice a plethora of receptacles designated for donations.
The temple is nestled in a residential neighborhood. When driving down Turtlewood Ct, it seems like you won’t find it. But keep going, out of nowhere the temple pops up with beauty and splendor. A gorgeous fountain greets you as soon as you enter the grounds of the temple. In the center of the fountain, is a figure in the form of Quan Am. She is considered to be a divine entity that helps people through sorrow and hardships. She is surrounded by the 12 animals of the zodiac. The entire fountain is carved out of marble and to say that it is beautiful would be an understatement.
The main entrance of the temple if guarded with Chinese guardian lions (aka lion dogs or foo dogs). These stone lions are traditional Chinese architectural ornaments that are created to protect a building from harmful spirits and harmful people. While originating in China, the lion dogs spread through other parts of Asia including Vietnam.
Just beyond the lion dogs were the stunningly painted doors of the temple. The artwork seemed to be that of some sort of warrior. My guess is that they were painted in place to protect the temple as well.
Upon entering, there was a temple worker behind a small booth. I asked if it was okay for me to take pictures and he was kind enough to say yes. I read that the temple was a photo friendly place but I wanted to ask a temple worker to be respectful.
It was around 9:30 a.m. on a Saturday when I arrived. I may have been the first visitor of the day. I immediately noticed that there were about 4 temple workers igniting incense with great diligence. It wasn’t long before worshippers arrived to make prayers to the deity of their choosing. I noticed that worshippers did not stay long. They dropped in, said their prayers and went on their way. It never really got crowded while I was there, it just seemed like a calm steady stream of people going in and out. Everyone that entered seem to have a quiet and contemplative demeanor.
The temple had incense and beads for sale. I REALLY wanted to buy some incense, but I wasn’t sure if it was for temple purposes only. So, I restrained myself. The smell of incense is extremely prevalent as you enter the temple. Burning incense is an ancient religious ritual and is seen as a sacred offering to honor the deities. Incense is also used to purify the atmosphere to help develop a pure mind.
One of the most prominent things you will notice upon entering the temple is the color red. In Chinese and Vietnamese culture, the color red represents happiness, beauty, vitality, good luck, success and good fortune. It is also said that unpleasant spirits were afraid of the color red. Another color that stands out in the temple is gold. It is easy to guess what gold symbolizes…WEALTH.
Around the perimeter of the temple are 14 major deities. The temple worker was very kind to explain to me what each deity represented. The thing is, I wish I was able to take notes so that I could remember what he was telling me! It was also difficult to understand him because we were both wearing masks (#covid). I had so many questions and I did not want to take up his time. I did make out that a few of the deities represented compassion, wealth, war, fertility and the protection of animals.
At each section, each deity was surrounded by burning incense, oil lamps, candles and gifts of food (mostly fruit).
Next to the temple is a building that honored the deceased. Okay now look, I did not go in here. I just stood at the door and looked around from the threshold. Not that I was afraid nor was it eerie. It was actually very peaceful and welcoming. But there were people present honoring their loved ones that passed away. It felt like a very sacred and serious place and I did not want to be in there wandering around, taking pictures in a place where others were remembering those who have passed. So, boom, I was NOT afraid. I truly did not want to be disrespectful of the purpose of the environment.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the temple. It was quiet, serene and a great place to reflect. I plan to visit again. This is one of the reasons I love Houston. You can experience so many cultures without leaving the city. Many thanks to the lovely people at the Teo Chew Temple. I hope to return very soon.