九天开出一成都

九天開出一成都
jiǔ tiān kāi chū yī Chéngdū
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 the nine heavens opened up to reveal a city - Chengdu
  2. 2 an exalted praise of Chengdu as a city fit for the heavens

Examples

HSK 4
Péngyǒuquān lǐ xiě Chéngdū lǚyóu, zuì ài pèi jiǔ tiān kāi chū yī Chéngdū.
People posting about Chengdu trips on WeChat love to caption with 'nine heavens opened to reveal a Chengdu.'
HSK 6
Chéngdū de xuānchuánpiàn kāitóu jiùshì nà jù jiǔ tiān kāi chū yī Chéngdū.
The Chengdu promo film opens with the line 'from the nine heavens, a Chengdu emerged.'

Tips

history
From Li Bai 李白's 《上皇西巡南京歌》 (one of a set written when Xuanzong fled to Chengdu, then called 南京): 九天开出一成都万户千门入画图 - 'the nine heavens opened to produce a Chengdu; ten thousand gates and doors form a painting.' Chengdu tourism has adopted the line as an unofficial motto.
usage
here is dū (capital/city), not dōu. 九天 = 'the nine heavens,' the highest realm in classical cosmology - implying Chengdu is heaven-born. Usually quoted with the next line 万户千门入画图.

Stroke Order

jiǔ
tiān
kāi
chū
chéng
dōu