View source for Biography:Lan Mu

{{Infobox person
| name               = Lan Mu
| birth_date         = 1872
| birth_place        = Dabu, Chaozhou, Guangdong, Qing China
| death_date         = 1943
| death_place        = Magong, Penghu, Taiwan, Empire of Japan
| occupation         = Craftsman, Architect, Printer
| years_active       = 
| known_for          = Taiwan Traditional Temple Architecture
| relatives          = Lan He (Younger brother)
| module             = {{Chinese
|t = 藍木
|s = 蓝木
|p = Lán mù
|poj = Nâ bo̍k}}
}}
'''Lan Mu''' (1872–1943, {{zh|c=藍木|p=Lán mù|poj=Nâ bo̍k}}) was from Dabu, Chaozhou of Guangdong Province.<ref name="Hsu 2005">{{Cite book|title=《續修澎湖縣志．卷14．人物志》|last=Hsu|first=Hsueh-chi|publisher=Penghu County Government|year=2005|isbn=986001521X|location=Penghu County|pages=125–126|language=zh-tw}}</ref> He was a famous craftsman of traditional architecture in Taiwan and Penghu during 1916 to 1943.<ref name="Hsu 2005" /> According to the area of his hometown, he might be a Hakka.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

== Biography ==
Lan Mu's parents died in his early years and he went to be a craftsman's apprentice to raise himself and his younger brother Lan He ({{lang|zh|藍合}}). Based on his hard work and talent, he became a good wood carving master in Chaozhou.<ref name="Lee 2009" />

In 1916, (Taishō 5th year), Lan Mu left his hometown and moved to Penghu with his brother.<ref name="Lee 2009">{{Cite book|title=《台灣古建築圖解事典》.|last=Lee|first=Chien-lang|publisher=遠流|year=2009|isbn=957324957X|location=Taipei City|pages=162|language=zh-tw}}</ref> In 1923, (Taishō 11th year), Lan Mu was assigned to be the chief architect of the Penghu Mazu Temple restoration. At the time, he was 40 years old (as the East Asian age reckoning). Three years later, Lan Mu and other craftsmen successfully finished the repair.<ref name="Hsu 2005" />

Penghu Mazu Temple was the most important work in Lan Mu's career. In addition to Mazu Temple, Lan Mu took part in other repair works, such as Beiji Temple and Beichen Temple, both located at Magong City. Beiji Temple was destroyed by the {{wipe|United States Army Air Forces}} during [[Social:World War II|World War II]] and Beichen Temple was dismantled and rebuilt in 1981.<ref name="Hsu 2005" />

Lan Mu also had a printing factory in Penghu.<ref name="Hsu 2005" /> His descendants took it over until the present.

== Gallery ==
Lee Chien-lang ({{lang|zh|李乾朗}}), a Taiwanese traditional architecture investigator, speaks very highly of Lan Mu's works. Moreover, because Lan Mu was from Guangdong, he was different from most of craftsmen in Taiwan main island who were from Fujian. His shape pattern and the decorations had a unique style; he preferred square pillars, and the carving work he did was much finer.<ref name="Lee 2009" /><ref>{{Cite book|title=《臺灣傳統建築匠藝五輯．匠師訪談專輯》|last=Lee|first=Chien-lang|publisher=燕樓古建築|year=2002|isbn=|location=Taipei City|pages=76|language=zh-tw}}</ref><gallery caption="Penghu Mazu Temple">
File:澎湖天后宮 外觀.jpg
File:澎湖天后宮樑上的裝飾.jpg
File:澎湖天后宮｜大楣木雕.jpg
File:澎湖天后宮｜三川殿 龍邊 木雕.jpg
File:澎湖天后宮｜方柱 2.jpg
</gallery>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lan, Mu}}
[[Category:Hakka]]

{{Sourceattribution|Lan Mu}}