📖 Meaning
An ancient metaphor for soldiers who died in battle. According to legend, the fallen were transformed—the noble into apes and cranes, the lowly into insects and sand. It broadly refers to all who perish in war.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from 'Baopuzi' (抱朴子), quoted in the 'Taiping Yulan' (太平御览). According to legend, King Mu of Zhou (周穆王) led a southern campaign in which his entire army perished and was transformed—gentlemen became apes and cranes, while commoners became insects and sand. The Tang dynasty poet Han Yu (韩愈) later alluded to this tale in his poem 'Seeing Off Qu Hong's Return South' (送区弘南归诗), lamenting that the soldiers never returned. Over time the phrase came to symbolize those who fall in battle.
💡 Example Usage
千百年来，不知有多少将士化为猿鹤虫沙，魂断疆场。
Over the millennia, countless soldiers have perished on distant battlefields, never to return.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 猿鹤虫沙
- Pinyin: yuán hè chóng shā
- Literal Translation: ape, crane, insect, sand
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4