Hanlu Temple · Notes
Your first visit: what actually matters
Most first-visit anxiety is misplaced. The rules that matter fit on one hand; the rest is regional habit.
Before you go in
Dress as you would for someone else's house: covered shoulders, no swimwear, no need for anything formal. Speak more quietly than usual, and put the phone on silent rather than holding it up.
You do not need to bring anything. Incense is often provided free, and many temples prefer that you do not bring your own.
Doors and thresholds
Enter by the side doors, not the central one, which is traditionally reserved. Step over the threshold — do not stand on it. The threshold is a beam, and standing on it is both bad manners and, historically, bad for the beam.
If a door is closed, it is closed. Do not open it to look inside.
Who you meet first
In most Chinese temples the first building is the Hall of Heavenly Kings, with Maitreya facing you and the four guardians at the sides. Behind him, facing the main hall, stands Weituo.
Hanlu Temple does not copy this: its first hall is the Guandi Shrine. If you want Maitreya and the four kings, a real temple is the place to see them.
Inside the hall
Take your hat off. Do not walk down the centre line. Do not step over a cushion, and do not sit on one that is clearly in use. Do not touch the instruments or the altar.
If people are chanting, stand at the back and wait, or come back later. Nobody will ask you to leave; they will simply be working.
These are common explanations, not rules; local practice differs, and the temple in front of you has the final say. Hanlu Temple promises nothing and gives no medical, financial or legal advice.