南山

Nánshān

popculture #37,539

Meanings

1 Nanshan (literally 'South Mountain')
2 Nanshan District, Shenzhen (tech hub)
3 the Zhongnan Mountains south of Xi'an, used poetically for 'long life'

Characters

Examples

腾讯总部在深圳南山区。

Téngxùn zǒngbù zài Shēnzhèn Nánshān Qū.

Tencent's headquarters is in Nanshan District, Shenzhen.

祝您寿比南山。

Zhù nín shòu bǐ Nánshān.

May your life be as long as the Southern Mountains.

采菊东篱下，悠然见南山。

Cǎi jú dōng lí xià, yōurán jiàn Nánshān.

Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern hedge, I serenely catch sight of South Mountain.

Tips

culture

Three layers depending on context: literal 'south mountain'; the specific 终南山 south of Xi'an evoked in Tao Yuanming's poetry and birthday blessings; and modern Shenzhen 南山区. Word order matters — 南山 = 'South Mountain', not 山南 'south of the mountain'.

In Pop Culture

寿比南山 shòu bǐ Nánshān

may your life be as long as the Southern Mountain

Standard birthday blessing for elders, paired with 福如东海 'fortune as wide as the Eastern Sea'. The image comes from 《诗经·小雅·天保》: 如南山之寿.

深圳南山区 Shēnzhèn Nánshān Qū

Nanshan District, Shenzhen

Shenzhen's tech corridor — home to Tencent, DJI, ZTE, and much of the city's startup scene.

悠然见南山 yōurán jiàn Nánshān

serenely catch sight of South Mountain

Famous line from Tao Yuanming's 《饮酒·其五》, the textbook image of reclusive contentment.

Stroke Order

南 nán

山 shān