We knew upon approaching the Teo Chew Temple that it would be impressive because we could see the beautiful tiled roof from Bellaire Blvd, just beyond Arthur Storey Park. I called ahead of time to see if visitors were welcome but the person who answered didn't speak English. I decided to take my chances and drive by to check things out anyway. Thankfully the parking lot gate was open as well as the doors to the main hall of the temple. My daughter immediately pointed out that the fountain in front of the temple contained all of the animals representing the different years of the Chinese calendar. We quickly parked the car and ventured inside. One tip: you must remove your shoes before entering the temple, so bring socks if you want to keep your feet clean!
The kids were hungry after this first stop, so we tried out another dumpling place (in the same plaza as Xiong's Cafe where we first ate dumplings). The dumplings at The Golden Dumpling were delicious too and the price was right here as well. Be sure to bring cash, though, as they don't take credit cards. This time we ordered boiled pork and leak dumplings, pan-friend pork dumplings and steamed chicken dumplings. We brought home at least half of this and ate it again for lunch! Again, I spent less than $20 for this feast.
After lunch the kids wanted to explore a few shops next to the restaurant, so we peaked into Jade House jewelry and a porcelain shop. If you are in need of beads to make your own jewelry, Jade House probably has everything you need. The proprietor of the porcelain store was super sweet to my kids, offering them a piece of traditional candy and answering all of their questions.
We decided to continue our exploration of temples after lunch. Our second temple was the Chùa Linh Sơn temple. It was closed, but they had a nice small garden where we took a few photos.
The third stop on our Buddhist temple tour was Jade Buddah Temple. The receptionist spoke perfect English and invited us to give ourselves a tour. Again, we removed our shoes before entering the halls. They had a large hall and a smaller one...much like a church and a chapel. In fact, I suspect this temple used to be a church at one point in time.
The large hall
The small hall
As a reward for a great day of exploring the Chinese culture, we treated ourselves to strawberry and mango shaved ice (more like ice cream) at Star Snow Ice. Note to self: Only order one shaved ice for 3-4 people. This dessert was huge!
To embark on your own Chinese adventures in Houston, click HERE and print my list of attractions.
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