📖 Meaning
Beautiful waters and bright mountains. It describes scenery that is picturesque and pleasing to the eye. The phrase emphasizes the harmonious beauty of natural landscapes.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the Song Dynasty poet Huang Tingjian, who wrote in his lyric poem 'Moshan Creek — To Chen Xiang of Hengyang' about the scenery of the Hunan region, praising its bright mountains and elegant waters. Over time the expression was reworded as '秀水明山' and became a fixed idiom used to depict beautiful natural scenery. It is frequently found in classical literature, including Cao Xueqin's 'Dream of the Red Chamber' in the Qing Dynasty.
💡 Example Usage
这片秀水明山吸引了无数游客前来观赏。
These beautiful waters and bright mountains have attracted countless visitors to come and admire them.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 秀水明山
- Pinyin: xiù shuǐ míng shān
- Literal Translation: elegant, water, bright, mountain
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4