Thien Hau Temple

The hip-and-gable roof and meticulously crafted columns of the Thien Hau Temple stand out amidst the neighboring boxy condos and apartment complexes. You'll find the Taoist temple at the center of activity with dance performances and firecracker displays around Chinese New Year. And though you'd never know it from the architecture, the building reopened in 2005 after it had been used as a Christian church in LA's now-defunct Little Italy.