Phase 1

Prior to this, the last major works were completed in 1963. Unfortunately, they were ill advised, leaving much to be desired. Time and weather aggravated the conditions. By the 1990s, the state of the temple had become a matter of serious concern and the Board of Trustees felt it was necessary to carry out a major restoration to the temple. The collapse of a beam in 1997 underscored the urgency and a restoration committee was set up to ensure the building’s successful restoration.

The Restoration Committee comprised Mr. Tan Hoon Keong, Ms. Josephine Chua Lay Choo, Mr. Chan Kien Keong, Mr. Lee Eng Cheow, and Mr. Tiong Kian Boon.

The greatest challenge lay in the fact that the Temple was fully functioning, with resident monks and nuns serving the daily spiritual needs of the Chinese community in Malacca. None of these could be suspended, even temporarily. So, for the entire period of the restoration, the services had to continue, without interruption.

The restoration took two years to complete. Preliminary work included a dilapidation study and a full inventory check. Tender documents and contracts were signed in early 1999. An auspicious date was chosen for relocating the deities from the Main Hall to temporary locations in the ancillary buildings. In April 1999, work started. Completion was scheduled for December 2000. This would include original finishes, and functional as well as decorative features, from tiles and chien nien sculptures on the roof to copper caps for the main purlins, murals, carvings, doors, and gold gilding.