The land where the temple sits was a gift from the East India Company to the early Chinese settlers here. Originally dedicated to Ma Chor Po - a patron deity seafarers and an incarnation of Kuan Im, the temple also houses other deities including the Tua Pek Kong (God of Prosperity), Kshitagarbha Buddha, Hu Ye (Tiger God), Tai Suey (God of the Year) and Boddhisattva Wei Tuo.

During the 1800s, it was among the most magnificent Chinese structures in northern Malaya, boasting of both Cantonese and Hokkien elements in its construction.

On her three birthdays (devotees of the Goddess of Mercy celebrate the 19th day of the second, sixth and ninth months of the Chinese lunar calendar as it is believed that her birthdays fall on these dates), devotees from all over the region will converge here to mark the special occasion and also to seek her blessings.
During these days, Chinese opera troupes would be engaged to perform for the deities for several days. These are the best times for foreigners to visit and pay their respects at the temple but please practice restraint and courtesy when taking photographs. At any given time, Kuan Im’s birthdays draw in hundreds of people jostling to get inside the temple with their joss sticks and offerings so please be mindful of your belongings and do not push!

The temple is also busy during the Chinese New Year period when people come to pray for good luck and prosperity for the coming year.