📖 Meaning
Describes a quiet, simple, and humble dwelling. The imagery evokes a rustic home with willow trees by the gate and bamboo lining the alley. It conveys a lifestyle of modesty and seclusion away from worldly noise.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom comes from a poem by the Tang dynasty poet Liu Yuxi (刘禹锡) titled "伤愚溪三首" (Three Poems Mourning Yu Xi), written to mourn his departed friend. The poem describes the friend's now-abandoned residence: the willow gates and bamboo alleys still stand, yet wild grass and moss grow thicker by the day. The lines express desolation and nostalgia, and the phrase came to symbolize humble, tranquil dwellings.
💡 Example Usage
他辞官归隐，居于柳门竹巷之间，过着清贫自得的生活。
After resigning from office, he retired to a quiet willow-gated, bamboo-alleyed cottage, living a simple and contented life.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 柳门竹巷
- Pinyin: liǔ mén zhú xiàng
- Literal Translation: willow, gate, bamboo, alley
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4