This temple is one of the oldest structures in the city and become the symbol of unity among the seven Chinese dialect groups namely Teochews, Hoklo (Hokkiens), Cantonese, Hakka, Foochowese, Henghua and Hainanese peoples.

In 2007, a documentary series called My Roots featured the temple in the episode "Grand March with the Deities".

[3] The renovated temple was then completed in the following year in December 1995 with much of its cultural design are being preserved and important relics such as the century-old bronze bell, incense burner and wooden tablet remain.

There are five deities inside the temple with each of them are separately worshipped by the main ethnic Chinese groups such as the dominant Teochew, Hoklo (Hokkien), Cantonese, Hakka and Hainanese people (and to a lesser extent Henghua as well as the Fuzhounese):[3] Every year in the first lunar month of 20-23rd, the temple organises its annual Chingay known as the "Parade of Deities" (Chinese: 古廟游神).

The annual parade attracted more than 300,000 people to march around the major roads of the city together with the five deities being worshipped in the old temple.