📖 Meaning
Like a white crane soaring among the clouds. A metaphor for a person of noble character and lofty conduct whose integrity and aspirations rise above the ordinary world. It conveys admiration for someone unreachable by vulgar entanglements.
📜 Origin Story
From Pei Songzhi's annotation to the Biography of Bing Yuan in the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo Zhi), quoting the 'Yuan Biezhuan'. Bing Yuan was a scholar of the late Eastern Han dynasty renowned for his moral integrity and learning. The phrase likens him to a white crane among the clouds, declaring that no net meant for quails could ever ensnare such a lofty spirit. The comparison emphasizes his extraordinary nobility and the impossibility of binding him to worldly snares.
💡 Example Usage
他为人清高，宛如云中白鹤，超然于世俗之外。
His character is pure and aloof, like a white crane among the clouds, rising above the mundane world.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 云中白鹤
- Pinyin: yún zhōng bái hè
- Literal Translation: clouds, in, white, crane
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4