📖 Meaning
This idiom refers to the important documents and edicts of the imperial court in feudal China. It describes grandly written official decrees and state papers of great literary and political weight. It is equivalent to the variant '高文典册'.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Song dynasty scholar-official Wang Anshi's work '翰林学士除三司使制' (Edict Appointing a Hanlin Academician as Commissioner of the State Finance Commission). In this edict, Wang Anshi praised the appointee's broad discourse and elevated proposals as sufficient to govern the royal house, and their lofty writings and authoritative policies as sufficient to sway the contemporary age. The term thus came to denote the elevated, authoritative prose of imperial governance.
💡 Example Usage
翰林学士的草诏多属高文典策，足见朝廷用人之慎重。
The edicts drafted by the Hanlin academicians are mostly lofty state documents, reflecting the court's prudence in appointing officials.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 高文典策
- Pinyin: gāo wén diǎn cè
- Literal Translation: high, text, statute, policy
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4