📖 Meaning
A golden bridge spanning the sea. This idiom describes a person of exceptional talent and capability who can shoulder immense responsibilities, serving as a pillar of the state or an organization. It emphasizes the rare combination of strength, reliability, and brilliance.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Yuan dynasty zaju play 'Yellow Crane Tower' (《黄鹤楼》) by an anonymous author. In the first act, the character Zhou Yu is praised for defeating Cao Cao's million-strong army at the Battle of Red Cliffs. He is described as 'a jade pillar supporting heaven, a golden bridge spanning the sea' (擎天玉柱，架海金梁), elevating him to the status of a national pillar. The phrase also appears in another Yuan dynasty play, 'Yue Fei's Loyalty' (《岳飞精忠》), where four generals are similarly honored.
💡 Example Usage
张总工程师是我们公司的架海金梁，没有他项目根本做不下去。
Chief Engineer Zhang is the golden bridge spanning the sea of our company — without him, the project simply couldn't move forward.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 架海金梁
- Pinyin: jià hǎi jīn liáng
- Literal Translation: span, sea, golden, beam
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4