[2][3] Following the establishment of George Town in 1786, droves of Chinese migrants flocked to the city, causing the transition of the temple into one dedicated to Guan Yin by 1800; by then, it also began to function as a neutral mediator between the rival Cantonese and Hokkien communities.

It remains a focal point for Chinese festivities such as the annual feast days for Guan Yin and the Jade Emperor's Birthday, attracting devotees from across Southeast Asia.

[1] Built at a cost of $4,000 Spanish dollars, it was dedicated to Mazu, a sea goddess worshipped by the Hokkiens as a patron for seafarers.

[2][3] At the time, Penang Island was sparsely populated and the temple, built by the seafaring Hokkiens was located relatively closer to the sea.

For instance, the temple remained unscathed when the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) bombed and invaded Penang in December 1941, and survived a handful of other attacks before and during the 1960s.