Little is known of the actual construction of the temple, other than that it was built for the Chinese Masonic Society in the 1860s, for use as their temple. The Main Temple is dedicated to Guan Di (Kuan Kung), a Han Dynasty general who brought peace and justice to China after the dynasty collapsed. He was subsequently deified as the State God of War, but universally viewed “as a wise judge, guide, protector and bringer of wealth and prosperity”. The temple was one of seven Chinese temples built around this area to serve the large Chinese population on the goldfield. This particular temple was part of a large Chinese camp known as the Ironbark Camp, established in 1855. It continued to be used as a temple and meeting place until the 1930s.

The Commonwealth acquired the wider site in 1941, clearing the old camp site but sparing the temple when Sir John Jensen, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Supply, refused permission for its demolition. The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) obtained permissive occupancy of the temple in 1965, and after restoration it was opened to the public in 1972.

The City of Greater Bendigo took over ownership of the temple when the National Trust relinquished responsibility, and the building has been managed by The Bendigo Trust since 2007. The temple is well-patronised by worshippers continuing the traditional use of the place, evidenced by entries in the visitors book, offerings left in the Main Temple and Ancestral Temple, and the testimony of volunteers.