五岭

五嶺

Wǔlǐng

proper noun

Meanings

1 the Five Ranges, the Nanling mountains between Hunan and Jiangxi to the north and Guangdong and Guangxi to the south

HSK 5

五岭以南的地方古代叫岭南。

Wǔlǐng yǐnán de dìfang gǔdài jiào Lǐngnán.

In ancient times the land south of the Five Ranges was called Lingnan.

HSK 5

古时候从中原去岭南，要翻越五岭。

Gǔshíhou cóng Zhōngyuán qù Lǐngnán, yào fānyuè Wǔlǐng.

In the old days, going from the Central Plain to Lingnan meant crossing the Five Ranges.

usage

五岭 is the old, literary name; maps and textbooks call the range 南岭. The five are 越城岭, 都庞岭, 萌渚岭, 骑田岭 and 大庾岭.

culture

In his poem on the Long March, Mao Zedong shrinks them to ripples: 五岭逶迤腾细浪, 'the winding Five Ranges are only little leaping waves'.

五 wǔ

岭 lǐng