📖 Meaning
This idiom describes a place that is isolated and remote, situated in a far-flung corner cut off from the rest of the world. It conveys being secluded in a distant, hard-to-reach region, far from centers of civilization.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the 'Book of Wei' (魏书), specifically the section on the Western Regions (西域传), which describes the kingdom of Yanqi (焉耆) as being isolated in a remote corner and having remained at peace for a long time. The 'Book of Wei' was compiled during the Northern Qi dynasty (550–577) by the historian Wei Shou (魏收). The phrase was later echoed in the 'Old History of the Five Dynasties' (旧五代史), where the warlord Li Keyong praised the literary talent of his strategist Li Xiji, likening himself and Li Xiji to a tiger gaining wings if stationed in such a remote place.
💡 Example Usage
这座古城斗绝一隅，千年来鲜有人至。
This ancient city stands isolated in a remote corner, rarely visited for a thousand years.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 斗绝一隅
- Pinyin: dǒu jué yī yú
- Literal Translation: isolated, cut off, one corner
- Category: Distance
- Characters: 4