The history chronicles of Gia Định, the then name of the settlement that later became Saigon and then Ho Chi Minh City, written by Trịnh Hoài Đức describes the area as being quite undeveloped at the time, with dense foliage resembling a jungle.

[1] In 1772, Thích Viên Quang of the Lâm Tế Thiền lineage arrive to become the abbot of the temple.

The first notable period of renovation took place between 1799 and 1804, when Thích Viên Quang allowed the total reconstruction of the temple.

[1] Giác Lâm Temple is built on a spacious plot, which has now been surrounded by the urban sprawl of the city.

Immediately upon entering through the main gate is the garden, which is dominated by a large statue of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara under a tall and healthy bodhi tree, a species of which Prince Siddhartha sat under while gaining enlightenment to become Gautama Buddha.

The tree present in the garden was brought to Vietnam from Sri Lanka by the famous 20th Sinhalese Theravada Buddhist monk Narada, known for his worldwide efforts in propagating the dharma.

On June 17, 1994, the Unified Buddhist Congregation of Vietnam staged an opening ceremony for a large stupa that was built for the purpose of the storing the relics of the Buddha.

In front of Amitabha is a row of five seated figures: they are Sakyamuni Buddha and the four principal bodhisattvas: Samantabhadra, Manjusri, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahasthamaprapta.

[2] In all, Giác Lâm Temple has 112 historic statues, made from wood with gold coatings painted onto the exterior.

The Nine Dragons altar in the main hall depicts the birth of Prince Siddhartha (Vesak) and is made of bronze.