📖 Meaning
Originally described Zhao Bian of the Song Dynasty traveling to take up his post in Sichuan with only a zither and a crane as luggage. It describes traveling with extremely minimal belongings, and by extension praises an official's honesty, integrity, and clean governance.
📜 Origin Story
During the Song Dynasty, the official Zhao Bian (赵抃) was appointed transport commissioner in Chengdu, Sichuan. Shen Kuo's 'Dream Pool Essays' records that when Zhao traveled within his jurisdiction, he carried only a zither and a crane—sitting to play the zither while watching the crane. The Emperor himself remarked that he had heard Zhao entered Sichuan on a single horse with just a zither and a crane, noting that his governance was likewise simple and fitting. The phrase thus became a symbol of an incorruptible, unburdened official.
💡 Example Usage
他为官清廉，赴任时仅一琴一鹤随行。
He was an incorruptible official; when he took up his post, he traveled with only a zither and a crane in tow.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一琴一鹤
- Pinyin: yī qín yī hè
- Literal Translation: one zither, one crane
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4