New York Mahayana Temples
Chinese Buddhist temple in South Cairo, New York
Mahayana Temple (Chinese: 大乘寺; pinyin: Dàchèng Sì; Jyutping: Da4sing4 Zi6) is a Chinese Buddhist temple organization headquartered within a forest in South Cairo, New York. It is the retreat of the Eastern States Buddhist Temple of America, Inc. ("ESBT"), whose downtown branch of the Mahayana Temple (a.k.a. Mahayana City Campus) is located in Chinatown, Manhattan. The original retreat land was donated by James Ying.
The temple grounds in South Cairo contain the Grand Buddha Hall (with dormitories located in the wings and a dining hall located on the lower level), the Kuan Yin Hall, the 500 Arhat Hall, the Seven Storied Jade Pagoda, the Earth Spirit Bodhisattva Hall, a three-unit temple dedicated to the spirits of the land, and an obelisk marking the burial site of members of the Ying family.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “New York Mahayana Temples” as chinese Buddhist temple in South Cairo, New York. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as chinese Buddhist temple in South Cairo, New York. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7013732. Authority coordinates are 42.312, -73.947. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “New York Mahayana Temples”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow New York Mahayana Temples primary sources, New York Mahayana Temples archive and York research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “New York Mahayana Temples”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “New York Mahayana Temples” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.