Mr. & Mrs.
Nguyễn Văn Kim

Huong Tich Pagoda in Los Angeles  was one of the first three Vietnamese temples in southern California. The temple was founded by Mr. and Mrs. Kim Nguyen,

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Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen immigrated to the United States in 1975, being among the first Vietnamese to settle in the United States. As pure devout Buddhists, they were spiritually oriented and lived in the spirit of Buddhist teachings. They realized that this new homeland, although providing for material needs in life for Vietnamese expatriates, lacked a place where they could develop and preserve Buddhist culture and traditions. Therefore, Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen embraced their desire to establish a Buddhist temple so that Vietnamese people could have a place to pray and study Buddhist teachings.

 

Despite many challenges and barriers in terms of language, culture, and finances during the time of immigration, Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen managed to overcome them all to realize their aspirations. On October 3, 1984, Mr. and Mrs. Kim successfully inaugurated Huong Tich Pagoda in Los Angeles, California.  This is a special milestone and a valuable cultural heritage for Vietnamese Buddhists in Southern California in general as well as for the descendants of the Nguyen family for generations.