The Goddess of Mercy Temple (Kuan Im Teng or Kong Hock Keong) is the oldest Chinese temple in Penang, built in 1800 by the earliest wave of Hokkien and Cantonese immigrants who arrived with the British settlement. It stands on Pitt Street at the centre of the religious district, a long block from the Kapitan Keling Mosque and a short walk from the Sri Mahamariamman Temple — an accident of colonial zoning that has become one of Penang's defining features.
The temple is dedicated to Guan Yin, the bodhisattva of compassion, and is in continuous use. The main hall is dense with incense smoke, red lanterns, and the sound of worshippers — genuinely active as a place of worship rather than a tourist attraction with worshippers as backdrop. The birthday of Guan Yin (celebrated three times a year by the lunar calendar) draws large crowds and wayang (Chinese opera) performances in the street outside. The temple gardens are a quiet retreat from the street heat.