Van Hanh Temple

Melanie Rossi

The grounds here are peaceful and beautifully maintained.

Nayana Don

Everyone need to go this place very good for meditation. Ven Sudatha is really good .

Robert Ross

Very pleasant atmosphere

Stirling Nguyen

Beautiful Vietnamese Buddhist Temple. The grounds are beautiful and well-kept. The monks and caretakers are friendly, courteous, and accommodating to visitors. Warning: If you have not been around lit incense sticks (dozens), it can be hard for some individual(s) to bear and breathe especially during busy service hours. Often times during the busy hustling & bustling celebration of Tê't, the temple can get two to three tour buses of visitors from far away places. Then the temple and the grounds can take on a whole life of its own - kind of like a small village. Don't expect the restrooms to be spotless during this said time. Parking can be very tight and spaces can fill-up fast during busy service hours as there's only one (1) entrance; parking on the street helps a great deal. The best times to visit (if you're not a Buddhist practitioner) are as follows: 1.) Tê't (a 3-day spectacular celebration of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year) & its magnificent lion dances (no firecrackers here - thanks to the Santee City ordinance); and 2.) the Mid-Autumn Festival. Note: tips placed in a small red envelope are given to the Lions during & after the lion dance is considered courteous. I recommend these two occasions to visit the temple because they bring out the most celebratory and jubilant atmosphere for people, families, and a little culture. If the spirituality beckens your calls to come here, their doors are always open to learn. Lastly, the temple is a place of worhship; therefore, your visit should always be reverent and courteous in manner whether it's a celebratory or spiritual event day.