Buu Mon Buddhist temple, established in 1980, was the first Buddhist center in Beaumont, Texas. In fact, that’s where it gets its name. During its early stages, the temple moved to Orange, Texas for a few years before settling into its current location, in Port Arthur, Texas, in 1986. This building started out as a Baptist church, and became a Vietnamese Catholic church in 1976. Abbot Thich Huyen Viet and his small congregation moved in, and after much remodeling and renovation, had built a stupa where there was once a steeple, and installed seven foot tall guilt bronze Buddha seated on the altar in front of a fresco mural of a Bodhi tree on a river’s shore.

Buu Mon Buddhist Temple is known nationally and internationally for the quality of its tropical and hardy lotuses and water lilies it grows. In addition to these it grows various types of bamboo, bananas, and citrus trees. There is even a small vegetable garden for the kitchen. The four garden areas around Buu Mon Temple are the focus of our annual Lotus Garden Tour, but are available through the rest of the growing season for private tours. Call ahead for an appointment.