📖 Meaning
Towering mountains and steep ridges. It describes majestic, rugged mountain terrain that is high and perilous. The idiom evokes a sense of natural grandeur and imposing landscape.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Eastern Jin dynasty calligrapher and writer Wang Xizhi's famous preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection (兰亭集序), written in 353 CE. In this celebrated piece, Wang Xizhi describes the scenic location of the gathering of literati at Orchid Pavilion, noting the presence of lofty mountains and steep ridges, dense forests, and tall bamboo. The preface is one of the most renowned works in Chinese literary and calligraphic history, and this evocative description of the landscape has been quoted and admired for centuries.
💡 Example Usage
火车穿过崇山峻岭，终于在黄昏时分抵达了那座小镇。
The train passed through towering mountains and steep ridges, finally reaching the small town at dusk.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 崇山峻岭
- Pinyin: chóng shān jùn lǐng
- Literal Translation: high mountains, steep ridges
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4