In the center of Weaverville, California, this Taoist temple preserves a rare link to the state’s Gold Rush-era Chinese communities and remains an active place of worship. Chinese gold miners established the first temple on the site in 1853, and the present building was erected in 1874 after earlier structures burned. Known as the oldest Chinese temple in California, it is especially significant because much of its interior has survived largely unchanged, with furnishings, art objects, and clay statues reflecting both religion and community life. Protected as a state historic site in 1956 after advocacy by Moon Lim Lee, it still hosts Chinese New Year lion dances and serves as both museum and temple.