别有洞天

別有洞天

biéyǒudòngtiān

idiom #89,511

Meanings

1 there exists a separate cave-heaven
2 a hidden place of great charm; a world apart

Characters

other; separate

to have; there is

Examples

走进这个小院，真是别有洞天。

Zǒu jìn zhège xiǎo yuàn, zhēn shì biéyǒudòngtiān.

Step into this little courtyard and you find a whole separate world.

看似普通的门后，竟然别有洞天。

Kàn sì pǔtōng de mén hòu, jìngrán biéyǒudòngtiān.

Behind what looks like an ordinary door, there's unexpectedly a world of its own.

这家老书店的二楼别有洞天。

Zhè jiā lǎo shūdiàn de èr lóu biéyǒudòngtiān.

The second floor of this old bookshop is a hidden gem.

Tips

history

Rooted in Li Bai's Tang-dynasty poem 《山中问答》: '桃花流水窅然去，别有天地非人间' — 'peach blossoms drift off with the stream; there's a world apart, not of the mortal realm.' 洞天 is also a Daoist term for grotto-paradises of the immortals, which adds the 'cave-heaven' color.

culture

Classic travel-writing and tourism phrase — on site signage at Chinese gardens and scenic spots, 别有洞天 is practically a stock invitation: 'turn the corner for another world.'

Stroke Order

别 bié

有 yǒu

洞 dòng

天 tiān