p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Translate Flashcards

牧童遥指杏花村

牧童遙指杏花村
Mùtóng yáo zhǐ Xìnghuā cūn
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 the cowherd points afar toward Apricot Blossom Village
  2. 2 a vivid image of asking for directions at Qingming
  3. 3 closing line of Du Mu's 清明

Examples

HSK 7-9
清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。借问酒家何处有？牧童遥指杏花村。
Qīngmíngshíjiéyǔfēnfēn, lùshangxíngrényùduànhún. Jièwènjiǔjiāhéchùyǒu? Mùtóng yáozhǐ xìnghuācūn.
Qingming - rain falls and falls; on the road, the traveler's spirit breaks. 'Where can a tavern be found?' The cowherd points afar toward Apricot Blossom Village.
HSK 7-9
清明节我们去郊外，真像牧童遥指杏花村的画面。
Qīngmíngjié wǒmen qù jiāowài, zhēn xiàng mùtóng yáozhǐ xìnghuācūn de huàmiàn.
At Qingming we went to the countryside - it really felt like that scene of the cowherd pointing to Apricot Blossom Village.

Tips

history
The closing line of Du Mu's (杜牧) Late Tang quatrain 《清明》: 清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。借问酒家何处有？牧童遥指杏花村。 One of the most recognizable verses in Chinese literature. 杏花村 has since been claimed by several villages, most famously the one in Fenyang, Shanxi, home of Fen jiu (汾酒) liquor.
culture
The line has become inseparable from Fen jiu marketing: the Shanxi distillery trademarked 杏花村 in the 20th century, making Du Mu an accidental spokesman. Qingming Festival (tomb-sweeping day) is the dramatic setting for the rainy, melancholic scene.

In Pop Culture

汾酒 Fénjiǔ
Fen Liquor
Famous Shanxi sorghum spirit whose brand 'Xinghua Cun' (Apricot Blossom Village) and packaging directly invoke Du Mu's poem.

Stroke Order

牧 mù
童 tóng
遥 yáo
指 zhǐ
杏 xìng
花 huā
村 cūn