The oldest existing artefacts in the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple are two plaques created in the year 1881. The two plaques respectively bear the inscriptions “Great Blessing and Protection” and “May Peace be with Us”. Adding historical significance to these artifacts is the donor: Yap Tet Loy, who is also known as Kapitan Yap Ah Loy. Looking back, we can hypothesize that in 1881, Kuala Lumpur experienced a severe fire disaster that burned down the entire town. After the reconstruction of Kuala Lumpur, Yap Ah Loy sought the blessing of the deities, hence inscribing “Great Blessing and Protection” and “May Peace be with Us” to express his heartfelt prayers for the peace and safety of the locality.

At the entrance of Canton-Hakka temples or ancestral halls, there usually is a piece of decorative board, but there are two in the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple. The donations were made in the year of 1887 and the year of 1888. Often, on the decorative board, the names of the woodcarving master’s workshop and the names of the donors are engraved. For example: “In the provincial city of Guangdong, on Hui Xian Street, made by Pan Run Ji, presented with Xin Jiu Shun” or “Presented by Xin Guang Yuan”. Generally, the decorative board has a three-layer structure, and each layer is carved with different traditional classic stories.

Next to the deity shrine, there are eight ritual weapons on each side, making a total of sixteen. Regarding the origin of these ritual weapons, there have been different interpretations over time. Some say these were the weapons used by Yap Ah Loy during the struggle for Kuala Lumpur, others claim they represent the eighteen traditional weapons, while some believe they depict the Eight Immortals. In reality, the patterns on these weapons are symbols known as the Eight Treasures of Buddhism. They include the umbrella cover, pair of fish, treasure vase, lotus flower, conch shell, endless knot, victory banner, and Dharma wheel. The ritual weapon is inscribed with the words: “Presented by Au Yong Choy.” In the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, similar sets of Eight Treasures of Budhhism are carried during processions, suggesting that this set of ritual weapons may have been used during the processions of Sin Sze Si Ya in Kuala Lumpur as well.

This couplet was erected in the year of 1898, presented by the respected scholar He Yun Sheng. “Unveiling the universe in Nanyang, good place commands the mountains and rivers” in just ten characters, succinctly conveys the pioneering spirit and mining endeavors of the illustrious forebears, who bravely opened up new territories, paved arduous paths, fought valiantly on battlefields, and achieved success against all odds. Their sacrifices, dedication, and divine blessings guarded the mountains and rivers, bestowing prosperity upon the people.

Chan Sow Lin was the first chairman of the board of trustees and is revered as the “Father of Kuala Lumpur Chinese Iron Works.” Therefore, these two exquisite iron gates were donated by Chan Sow Lin. Engraved on them is: “Chop Mee Lee.” Chan Sow Lin was born in 1845, whose courtesy name was Yu Chi, was born in Changbing Village, Panyu County, Guangdong Province. At the age of 16, he came to Perak, Malaya, and worked as a miner in Taiping. In the early 1880s, he came to Kuala Lumpur and worked for Loke Yew’s Tong Hing Loong company. Later, he developed his own business and es  tablished Kuala Lumpur’s first mechanical ironworks, the Chop Mee Lee, also known as Chan Sow Lin & Co. Ltd. He was appointed as a Selangor State Council and a member of the Chinese Advisory Board. In 1918, he was conferred the title of Justice of the Peace in Taiping. He was one of the founders of the Kuala Lumpur Chen She Shu Yuen Clan Ancestral Hall and served as the president of various organizations such as the Kuala Lumpur Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Chik Sin Thong Funeral Parlour, Tung Shin Hos pital, and Confucian Chinese School. In 1907, a dispute arose over the ownership of the land where Sin Sze Si Ya Temple is located, and the matter was taken to court. Ultimately, the court ruled in the lan d was donated by the Kapitan Yap Ah Loy to the temple and ordered the establishment of a trustee board to manage the temple’s property. Chan Sow Lin, the censer master of the temple, became the first chairman of the board of trustees, representing the Cantonese community.

The plaque ” Light is reflected by the four surface” also holds significant meaning for the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple. Erected in the ninth year of Guangxu’s reign (1883), it was jointly dedicated by several community leaders in Kuala Lumpur. These leaders included Chiew Yoke, Yap Chee Ying, Wong Tin Chun, and Xie Tin Yu. Some of these leaders were prominent figures in Kuala Lumpur at that time and had close ties with Yap Ah Loy.

The Four Gongs Commemorative Plaque erected in front of the temple (Yap Ah Loy, Yap Ah Shak, Yap Kwan Seng, and Chan Sow Lin) highlight Chan Sow Lin’s contributions to the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple.