Chou Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Woman (nǚ) Lan Kangxi Stroke Count: 8 Page 258, Entry 26 Pronounced gan A term used by elderly women to refer to themselves. Book of Jin (Jinshu), Biography of the Thirteen Princes of Emperor Wu: Lan mu refers to a Buddhist nun who is particularly intimate with others. Dictionary of Characters (Zihui): An elderly woman who is skilled at using sweet words to please others, which is why the character contains the element for sweet. This is the origin of the colloquial term lan po. Also pronounced gan (falling-rising tone), with the same meaning.