Chong Hua Sheng Mu Holy Palace

Like something out of an Austin Powers movie, the Chong Hua Sheng Mu Holy Palace was built in 1994 by the Wu-Wei Tien Tao Association. One of the oddest structures in Houston, its dramatic gold dome features twin minarets flank either side, but the construction and materials are that of a basic industrial office tower. Construction on the palace was the forerunner for a grand complex for spiritual rejuvenation and an oasis of calm within the sprawling western Houston suburbs, but all work stopped when the organizer had to leave the country. Today, it sits unfinished and unused, but it is gorgeous.

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