Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple is not an unfamiliar heritage landmark to locals, being a religious Taoist temple that has over 100 years history on the Island of Pearl.  However, visitors/ tourists may easily miss the Temple due to its small and dull entrance passage.  Officially registered with the Chinese Protectorate of Penang in the year 1982, the Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple has had a chequered history coloured by the segmentary traits of Southern Fujians.  It is essentially a community temple devoted to the worship of Twa Peh Kong.

Historically the origin of Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple can be traced back to early 19^th Century while Khoo Teeau Pang was the founding head of Kean Teik Tong which was formed in 1844.  The temple building and shophouses could have been built between 1850 and 1867.  Kean Teik Tong’s assets were then transferred to four registered bodies which make up the Hock Teik Cheng Sin temple today.

The organizational structure of the Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple does not function as a “mother institution” but a Board of Trustees holds the property for the use of the fourth brotherhood societies, namely, Tong Kheng Seah, Poh Hock Seah, Cheng Hoe Seah and Hokkien Kongsi.  The consolidation of these organizations under one roof is an effective means of co-ordination. The Temple is at present the physical apex religious society of all the allied bodies.

The restoration project of Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple and shophouses started in 2004. Phase one of the restoration project that involving the Temple building has been completed; but not phase two and three which involve the gatehouse and shophouses due to lack of fund.  Today, you can still see secret passages conserved with protective cover within the Temple vicinity which was previously craved to provide an easy escape when the Penang riots took place between Kean Teik Tong and Ghee Hin secret society, in the year 1867.