📖 Meaning
An exquisite orchid growing in a secluded mountain valley, symbolizing something rare and precious. It is commonly used as a metaphor for a person of noble character and refined elegance who stands apart from the crowd. The image evokes purity, solitude, and unappreciated beauty.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in chapter 5 of 'The Travels of Lao Can' (老残游记), a novel by the Qing dynasty writer Liu E (刘鹗). In the story, the narrator encounters a remarkably accomplished person in an unexpected, remote place and exclaims that finding such a master there is like discovering a hidden orchid in an empty valley. The orchid has long been a symbol of virtue and refinement in Chinese literary tradition, and its image growing unseen in a deep valley underscores both its rarity and its untarnished nobility.
💡 Example Usage
她虽身处繁华都市，却如空谷幽兰般淡泊名利。
Though living in a bustling metropolis, she remains as indifferent to fame and wealth as a secluded orchid in an empty valley.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 空谷幽兰
- Pinyin: kōng gǔ yōu lán
- Literal Translation: empty valley, secluded orchid
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4