Visitors and locals alike have had the opportunity to learn about Bendigo's history for a discounted cost as part of this year's Heritage Unwrapped event.
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The Bendigo Joss House Temple was one of numerous attractions that participated in the occasion, now in its second year.
Manager Darren Wright said it was important to share history because people needed to know where they came from to move forward.
"It belongs to all of us, it is our heritage," Mr Wright said.
The Bendigo Joss House Temple was opened in 1871 and replaced an earlier temple that Mr Wright said was "blown away" in 1868.
The Chinese community that arrived during the gold rush lived in the immediate area, Mr Wright said, building up a Chinatown that boasted hundreds of residents and a main street with some 80 shops before Bridge Street became the hub for Bendigo's Chinese community.
The Joss House is one of only two surviving temples from that era in Victoria (the other being in South Melbourne) and is the second-oldest of its kind in Australia.
It was threatened with destruction and a car park was once planned for the space it occupied, but it was protected when the National Trust acquired occupancy in the 1960s.
But the Joss House is not only a relic of times gone by - it remains a working temple and people continue to visit to pray.
Mr Wright said the temple had a reputation for being a place where prayers were answered, and people travelled from other towns and even interstate to worship.
Dennis O'Hoy led the restoration of the Joss House in the late 1960s and continues to work there as a caretaker.
"I'm very proud and pleased to see so many visitors come," Mr O'Hoy said on Saturday.
Saturday's Bendigo Heritage Unwrapped celebrations also saw a steam train visit the city, which attracted plenty of attention when it pulled into the railway station.
The R707 locomotive dated back to 1954 and the carriages were built in the 1950s to 1960s.
The train belonged to 707 Operations, a volunteer-run rail heritage group.
Tim McMaster took his children Lilly, 7, and Nash, 5, down to the railway station to see the train, as they had never seen a steam locomotive.
"It smells weird," Lilly said.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
