走马观花 (zǒumǎguānhuā): to glance at flowers from horseback

From Meng Jiao's Tang-dynasty poem 《登科后》: 「春风得意马蹄疾，一日看尽长安花」 — 'spring breeze, proud hoofbeats, in one day I see all the flowers of Chang'an.' Originally a celebration of passing the imperial exam; over time, 走马观花 lost its triumphant flavor and now just means a shallow, rushed look.

mistakes

Frequently confused with 走马看花 (same meaning, variant form) and with 浮光掠影 (also 'superficial glance'). All three are near-synonyms; 走马观花 is the most common in modern usage.