火树银花不夜天

火樹銀花不夜天

huǒshùyínhuābùyètiān

phrase

Meanings

1 a night ablaze with fireworks and lanterns, bright as day
2 fiery trees and silver flowers on a night that never darkens (literally)

Characters

flower, blossom

Examples

除夕之夜，广场上火树银花不夜天。

Chúxī zhī yè, guǎngchǎng shàng huǒ shù yín huā bù yè tiān.

On New Year's Eve, the square glowed with fireworks as bright as day.

国庆焰火晚会真是火树银花不夜天。

Guóqìng yànhuǒ wǎnhuì zhēn shì huǒ shù yín huā bù yè tiān.

The National Day fireworks gala truly was a dazzling sleepless night.

Tips

history

The first four characters 火树银花 come from Su Weidao 苏味道's Tang poem 《正月十五夜》: ‘火树银花合，星桥铁锁开’, describing Lantern Festival lights. 不夜天 (a sky that knows no night) was later fused with it; Tian Han 田汉's 1959 Peking opera 《十三陵水库畅想曲》 and a famous song line popularised the full phrase.

usage

Often used in festival reporting (Spring Festival, National Day, Lantern Festival). 火树 = trees of fire (lanterns/fireworks), 银花 = silver blossoms (sparks).

Stroke Order

火 huǒ

树 shù

银 yín

花 huā

不 bù

夜 yè

天 tiān