Lingnan architecture

Overall, the classical Lingnan style, which is the best-known of Lingnan architecture, tends to favor pale colors such as green and white, avoid circular structures, adopt large numbers of relief carvings and sculptures, have many open structures like balconies and verandas, and be built using materials resistant to molds and moisture.

The temple was built in late 19th century and served as an academy for Chan families in 72 counties of the Guangdong province.

Today, some elements of Lingnan architecture are adopted in the construction of commercial districts in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong province.

Currently, not much research has been done on the architectural style(s) of the Nanyue people, the original Baiyue inhabitants of Lingnan before the region sinicized.

The bottom of its waterways were paved with pebbles and gravel, resulting in the drainage water forming small whirlpools upon hitting the walls.

Also, since the 19th century, the Tang style has seen a revival in the region, whether in Hong Kong and Macau or the mainland part of Lingnan.

Buildings of this style bears much resemblance to the Buddhist temples in Kyoto, Japan, which are also heavily based on Tang architecture.

The classical Lingnan style formed as early as 14th century and represents Cantonese people's adaptation of their hybrid culture (i.e., with elements of Nanyue, Tang, and Song) to the region's geography.

The classical Lingnan style goes along with this: It traditionally uses very large amount of relief carvings and sculptures for the purpose of decorations (especially in temples and ancestral halls).

The subject matters of these carvings and sculptures generally revolve around figures and scenes from Chinese mythology and Cantonese folktales.

They are noted for having large heads and small legs, protruding skulls and flat noses, leaf-shaped ears, mouths set in roaring configurations, and sharp teeth.

The male guardian lions are generally on the left side of the door and stepping on embroidered balls - which is considered to symbolize good luck.

Also, in classical Lingnan residence, indoor windows are usually small and high on the walls, for the purpose of defense against bandits.

Oyster shell house (Jyutping: Hou3 hok3 uk1; Traditional Chinese: 蠔殼屋) is an architectural style that arose in Lingnan in late 16th to early 17th century.

At present, the Hoizyu district has developed a plan to protect and maintain the remaining oyster shell house.

Tong lau (Jyutping: Tong4 lau4; Traditional Chinese: 唐樓) is a style of tenement buildings architecture found in Lingnan (and also in some other areas by the South China Sea) starting from 19th century.

It is essentially a balcony-type, multi-story tenement building for residential and commercial use, with each story being three to four meters tall, typically built with either green bricks or, later, concrete.

The main purpose of tong lau is to let people live upstairs while running some sorts of business (e.g., a pawn shop) downstairs.