The Khoo Kongsi was built by the Khoo clan, one of the "Five Big Clans" of Penang who emigrated from Hokkien province, China. Established as a clan association in 1835, the current temple structure was completed in 1906 after a previous version was purportedly struck by lightning and burned down shortly after completion in 1894—some said because it was too grand and rivaled the Emperor’s palace in China. The temple functioned not just as a place of worship, but as a mini-city that provided welfare, education, and legal protection for clan members. Its architectural style is purely Southern Fujian, characterized by its "sweeping" rooflines and dense ornamentation. Today, it remains a private clan estate but is open to the public as one of George Town’s most prized heritage sites.