📖 Meaning
This idiom literally refers to a wine-loving person from Gaoyang. It describes someone who is fond of drinking and lives an unconventional, uninhibited lifestyle. The term conveys both a love of wine and a free-spirited, nonconformist attitude.
📜 Origin Story
During the late Qin Dynasty, Li Yiji, a scholar from Gaoyang (in present-day Henan Province), sought an audience with Liu Bang, who was then leading the rebellion against the Qin. Liu Bang, known for his dislike of Confucian scholars, initially refused to receive him. Learning this, Li Yiji reportedly shouted to the messenger, 'Go tell the Duke of Pei that I am a Gaoyang wine drunkard, not a Confucian!' Impressed by his boldness, Liu Bang admitted him, and Li Yiji became an important strategist who helped secure key territories for the future Han Dynasty founder. The phrase has since come to describe anyone who loves wine and lives with carefree abandon.
💡 Example Usage
他自称高阳酒徒，整日饮酒作乐，不理世事。
He called himself a Gaoyang wine drunkard, spending his days drinking and making merry, indifferent to worldly affairs.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 高阳酒徒
- Pinyin: gāo yáng jiǔ tú
- Literal Translation: Gaoyang, wine, person
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4