Jewellery artist Cindy Chao’s grandfather, Mr. Hsien Tzu-Nan, was a master of Han-style palace architecture, a mathematician, and an expert in Nanguan music. Throughout his career, he designed and restored over a hundred temples across Asia, including Taiwan, Penghu, Southeast Asia, and Japan. Notable examples include the Wenwu Temple at Sun Moon Lake in Nantou, Sanfeng Temple in Kaohsiung, Chaotian Temple in Beigang, Yunlin, the Lingxiao Treasure Hall of Zhinan Temple in Taipei, Thian Hock Keng Temple in Singapore, and the Tosa Coral Museum in Shikoku, Japan. Many of these works have since been designated as historic cultural heritage sites. Mr. Xie’s use of the northern palace style had a profound influence on traditional architecture, becoming the mainstream for temple architecture in the 1960s and 70s.
