GEORGE TOWN, July 5 -- Tucked between rows of pre-war shophouses and modern office buildings along Bishop Street, the Sun Wui Wui Koon building which is in a recessed lot behind a stone fence with granite gate posts is barely noticeable.

It may look like another temple but the Sun Wui Wui Koon is actually an association that was established by immigrants from the Sun Wui district in the Guangdong province in China in the 19th century.

It served as a communal hub for those who came from the same district and shared the same dialectal heritage, in this case, Cantonese, where they provided assistance to new immigrants from the district with employment, housing and social integration.

Its Cantonese influence is evident in its architecture,...