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

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.'
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.'

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