📖 Meaning
A general term for places of song, dance, and entertainment, most often referring to brothels. 'Qin tower' and 'Chu hall' historically denoted pleasure quarters associated with the ancient states of Qin and Chu, famed for music and courtesans.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in the Yuan dynasty zaju play 'Xue Rengui' by Zhang Guobin. In the third act, a parent grieves that after finally raising their child to adulthood, the child has gone off and treated his parents as though they were as far apart as heaven and earth, losing himself in the Qin towers and Chu halls without any thought for the deep grace of being raised. The line captures the era's association of Qin and Chu establishments with sensual entertainment.
💡 Example Usage
他自幼不务正业，终日流连于秦楼楚馆，把祖传的家产挥霍一空。
From his youth he refused to do honest work, spending his days loitering in brothels and squandering every bit of his family's inherited fortune.
🏷️ Category
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🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 秦楼楚馆
- Pinyin: qín lóu chǔ guǎn
- Literal Translation: Qin, tower, Chu, hall
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4