Norras Temple, San Francisco

This serene space is the oldest Buddhist Temple in San Francisco, dating back more than 50 years. Named in honor of the Norras Buddhist Temple in Tibet, many of the symbols here are derived from Tibetan Buddhism. The shrine shows a triple-display of Buddha and his acolytes in attitudes of compassion and joy. The altar is gilded wood imported from China in 1959. Note the pair of three-dimensional mandalas shaped like golden mountains, five feet high and containing hundreds of tiny windows with even tinier Buddhas sitting inside. At the flick of a switch, they spin to the sound of Chinese music.