A Trip to Oroville’s Chinese Temple: A Learn-About Book on California’s Historic Liet Sheng Kong

Many early Chinese immigrants came to California to mine for gold and build railroads. They built many temples and shrines in California. Today, the Liet Sheng Kong Temple in Oroville is an important historical monument.

This book offers children a visual field trip visit through Oroville’s Liet Sheng Kong Temple and Museum Complex. Children will learn interesting information about the cultural beliefs and ways of life of the early Chinese immigrants such as the color red is the symbol of joy, happiness, and good luck, and the temple has no windows in order to keep out evil spirits, and also, door guardians protected entrances to mansions and city gates.

Children will enjoy the illustrations of museum artifacts such as parade swords, sedan chair scenes, Chinese dolls and children’s shoes with cat eye tips. Most of all, this inter-active book engages children throughout its pages. Especially fun is the do-and-learn activity on shadow puppets, one of the most enchanting Chinese cultural treasurers for storytelling.