Hong San See, or Temple of Phoenix Hill was established in 1836 with the original site on Tras Street, within the present day area of Tanjong Pagar. Due to a road widening project, the land where the temple was originally sited was acquired by the colonial government in 1907 and a sum of $50,000 paid to the temple as compensation. A site on Mohamed Sultan Road was acquired and the relocation and construction of the new temple complex at its current site ensued. The relocated temple sits on the side of what is also known as Institution Hill (behind Fort Canning Hill), a name that is derived from the fact that the Trustees of Raffles Institution once owned the hill. 

Planning for the recent restoration project began in 2004 when signs of termite infestation surfaced. Lam Ann Association, Trustee of the Hong San See, had insisted from the inception of the project that the restoration approach to be adopted must be in accordance to international convention for a heritage structure and not from a purely religious point of view.