The classic chengyu
囊萤映雪 (náng yíng yìng xuě, 'firefly-bag-on-snow') tells of poor scholars who studied by collecting fireflies in a silk bag (
车胤 of the Jin dynasty) and reading by snow's reflected light (
孙康) - the firefly is a symbol of perseverance through poverty. Studio Ghibli's
《萤火虫之墓》 (Grave of the Fireflies) uses the same imagery.