Chinese Temple & Museum Complex

Sacramento & the Central Valley


This restored temple and museum offers a fascinating glimpse into Oroville's Chinese legacy and is well worth exploring. Built in 1863, it served the Chinese community, which built the area's levees and at its peak numbered 10,000. Inside is an unrivaled collection of 19th-century stage finery, religious shrines and a small garden with fine Qing-era relics.

This temple's fascinating history includes its role as the last stop for touring Cantonese theater troupes. To lighten the shipload back across the Pacific, they left behind elaborate sets, costumes and puppets, which are on rotating display.


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