This is a well-known and popular temple to many local devotees of the deity Kuan Yin, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy, also believed to be a manifestation of the Boddhisattva Avalokitesvara. Built in 1884, it was a fine example of Chinese temple architecture and traditional craftsmanship, forming a group of historically significant buildings and places at Waterllo Street such as the Sri Krishnan Temple, the Church of St. Peter and Paul, the Maghain Aboth Synagogue and the Malabar Muslim Jama-Ath Mosque.
The temple has been rebuilt twice - once in 1985 and again in 1982 to increase its capacity. Within the grounds of the original temple, entry was gained across a large covered courtyard through a recessed porch and screened anteroom. The main hall contained three altars: the central one for the Goddess Kuan Yin and one each for Da Moh, also known as Bodhidarma (the chief of the six Buddhist Patriarchs), and Hua Tuo (the Chinese patron saint of medicine and healing) on the flanking altars. A large image of Sakyamuni Buddha was kept in the rear Hall.
Today, within the rebuilt temple, all deities are now placed on a single altar in the prayer hall with the elevated statue of Sakyamuni Buddha positioned just behind that of Kuan Yin. The relative positions of the other deities remain unchanged. The temple remains one of the focal points of religious activity within the historic Waterloo and Bugis Street areas with thousands of devotees turning up everyday to pray for blessings from the goddess. The most festive time is the eve of the Chinese New Year when the temple is kept open all night and the street is packed with devotees praying to the Goddess for an auspicious start to the New Year.