📖 Meaning
The lanes and alleys are emptied of people — not because they are hiding indoors, but because everyone has poured out onto the streets. It describes a spectacular occasion, such as a celebration or welcoming ceremony, that draws an entire community out of their homes.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom first appeared in a poem by Su Shi (苏轼) of the Northern Song Dynasty, titled 'Revisiting the Sea-Viewing Tower on the Seventeenth of the Eighth Month.' Su Shi wrote that thanks to the tide-watching spectacle the next day, 'ten thousand people emptied the lanes, vying in their new attire.' The phrase was later popularized in Qing Dynasty literature, notably appearing in Wu Jianren's (吴趼人) novel 'Strange Events Witnessed in the Past Twenty Years.'
💡 Example Usage
除夕之夜，烟花表演让整个城市万人空巷。
On New Year's Eve, the fireworks display emptied the entire city — everyone poured into the streets to watch.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 万人空巷
- Pinyin: wàn rén kōng xiàng
- Literal Translation: ten thousand, people, empty, lanes
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4