📖 Meaning
Rare and extraordinary precious treasures. Refers to valuables that are unusual and hard to come by. Often used to describe objects of great rarity and worth.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase appears in the Song dynasty scholar Hu Zi's work 'Tiaoxi Yuyin Conghua Houji' (苕溪渔隐丛话后集), specifically in the section on Su Dongpo. Hu Zi sighs that the world does not lack wondrous and rare treasures, but rather lacks people capable of recognizing their true value. The idiom highlights the idea that extraordinary treasures exist everywhere, but discerning eyes are rare. It is a variant ordering of the more common phrase 奇珍异宝.
💡 Example Usage
博物馆里陈列着各国的异宝奇珍，令人叹为观止。
The museum displays rare and wondrous treasures from various nations, leaving visitors in awe.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 异宝奇珍
- Pinyin: yì bǎo qí zhēn
- Literal Translation: rare, treasure, wondrous, precious
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4