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桐花万里丹山路

桐花萬里丹山路
tónghuāwànlǐdānshānlù
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 ten thousand li of paulownia blossoms along the road to Cinnabar Mountain
  2. 2 (fig.) a spreading path of glory for a prodigy / promising youth (the cinnabar mountain is the mythic home of phoenixes)
  3. 3 (lit.) paulownia-flower — ten-thousand-li — cinnabar-mountain — road

Examples

他赞扬年轻学者，说前途像桐花万里丹山路。
Tā zànyáng niánqīng xuézhě, shuō qiántú xiàng tónghuā wànlǐ dānshān lù.
He praised the young scholar, saying their prospects were like 'ten thousand li of paulownia blooms on the road to Cinnabar Mountain.'
诗句桐花万里丹山路描绘出华丽壮阔的意境。
Shījù tónghuā wànlǐ dānshān lù miáohuì chū huálì zhuàngkuò de yìjìng.
The line 'paulownia blooms, ten thousand li to Cinnabar Mountain' paints a magnificent, expansive scene.

Tips

history
From 李商隐《韩冬郎即席为诗相送…》 (Li Shangyin, Tang, 9th c.), a poem praising the 10-year-old prodigy 韩偓 (Han Wo, son of Li Shangyin's friend 韩瞻): 十岁裁诗走马成，冷灰残烛动离情。桐花万里丹山路，雏凤清于老凤声 (At ten he composes poems as fast as galloping horses; in cold ash and spent candle, parting stirs. Ten thousand li of paulownia blooms on the Cinnabar Mountain road — the young phoenix's song is clearer than the old phoenix's). Phoenixes (凤) nest in paulownia (桐) trees and dwell on Cinnabar Mountain (丹山) in Chinese mythology — the line metaphorically sets out the glorious path ahead of the young Han Wo.
usage
Canonically paired with 雏凤清于老凤声 ('the young phoenix's cry is purer than the old phoenix's'). A favorite quotation for praising a talented younger generation surpassing its elders.

Stroke Order

桐 tóng
花 huā
万 wàn
里 lǐ
丹 dān
山 shān
路 lù