📖 Meaning
Refers to a person so prestigious and revered that visiting them is likened to ascending the Dragon Gate. Describes a figure universally admired and looked up to by scholars of an entire era. The idiom conveys immense prestige and intellectual authority.
📜 Origin Story
During the Eastern Han dynasty, Li Ying (李膺) was renowned for his noble character and high standards, dedicating himself to upholding moral principles. Young scholars who managed to visit his home were said to have 'ascended the Dragon Gate,' symbolizing a dramatic rise in their own status. Later, during the Jin dynasty, the statesman Wang Yan (王衍) enjoyed such universal reverence that the court and public called him 'the Dragon Gate of a generation' (一世龙门), as recorded in the Book of Jin.
💡 Example Usage
王教授学识渊博、德行高尚，在学术界可谓一世龙门，后辈学者无不敬仰。
Professor Wang, with his profound erudition and noble character, is revered as a Dragon Gate of his era in academia, admired by all younger scholars.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一世龙门
- Pinyin: yī shì lóng mén
- Literal Translation: one, generation, dragon, gate
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4