📖 Meaning
Describes artistic skill or craftsmanship so extraordinary that it appears to have been wrought by supernatural forces rather than human hands. It is used to praise workmanship so exquisite it seems beyond mortal capability.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the poem 'Cloud Gorge' (《云峡》) by Yuan Haowen (元好问), a prominent poet of the Jin Dynasty (金朝). In the poem, Yuan marvels at a wondrous natural object, asking how many such masterpieces exist between heaven and earth — carved by ghosts and chiseled by gods. The phrase emphasizes that nature's creations are so breathtakingly refined they appear to be the handiwork of supernatural beings rather than any human artisan.
💡 Example Usage
这座石窟的造像精美绝伦，真可谓鬼刻神劖，令人叹为观止。
The statues in this grotto are so exquisitely carved — truly the work of ghosts and gods — that one cannot help but marvel.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鬼刻神劖
- Pinyin: guǐ kè shén chán
- Literal Translation: ghost, carve, god, chisel
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4