📖 Meaning
Describes terrain that is strategically imposing and majestically beautiful, like a crouching tiger and a coiling dragon. It is often used to praise the geographical grandeur of a capital city or a stronghold, evoking an aura of imperial power and natural defense.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Yuan Dynasty writer Tang Shi (汤式), in his sanqu poem 'Shaobian: In Praise of the Newly Built Theater and Music School' (哨遍·新建构栏教坊求赞). The line reads: 'The three-foot stage encloses a den of idlers where swallows and orioles gather; the crossroads command the old imperial foundation, where the tiger crouches and the dragon coils.' Although the poem describes a theater built on the ruins of a former imperial capital, the phrase itself draws on the ancient geomantic tradition of likening strategic terrain to the tiger and dragon — symbols of power and protection. It echoes similar expressions from earlier dynasties that praised the natural fortifications of cities like Nanjing. Over time, the idiom became a classical way to extol any place of formidable and regal topography.
💡 Example Usage
南京城地势踞虎盘龙，自古为兵家必争之地。
With terrain where the tiger crouches and the dragon coils, Nanjing has been a strategic battleground since ancient times.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 踞虎盘龙
- Pinyin: jù hǔ pán lóng
- Literal Translation: crouching, tiger, coiling, dragon
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4