The numerous exiting traditional Chinese study halls, schools and ancestral halls with educational function in Hong Kong share much similarities with the traditional study halls in the GBA. Young clansmen were nurtured and prepared for the Imperial Civil Service Examinations to succeed in achieving official titles to extend the clan’s power and influence in the region. The study halls, therefore, carry a strong sense of education, enlightening clansmen through the themes and inscriptions of the mural paintings, wood carvings and plaster mouldings. They demonstrate characteristics of Lingnan traditional architecture as it evolved from the Ming and Qing dynasties, i.e. the “three carvings, two mouldings and one painting” style, and exemplify the shared cultural roots, along with architectural and artistic heritage, in the Lingnan region.

"Triumph in the Imperial Examinations: Architecture and Art of Lingnan Traditional Study Halls”, includes 17 declared monuments and historic buildings with grading.