After graduation, he felt the future stretched wide open before him.
Tips
history
From the Tang poem 《暗离别》 by Liu Shiyao: "青鸾脉脉西飞去，海阔天高不知处" — the blue phoenix flies west, sea wide, sky high, and no one knows where. The phrase later shifted from "vast unknown distance" to "open-mindedness" and "unrestrained chatter."
culture
Also the title of Beyond's 1993 Cantopop hit 海闊天空 — one of the most recognized Chinese-language rock anthems, symbolizing freedom and ideals. The phrase carries this cultural weight in casual use.
