峰回路转

峰回路轉
fēnghuí-lùzhuǎn
idiom HSK 7 #31,434

Meanings

  1. 1 the path winds around peaks; a sudden turn of events (for the better)

Characters

Literally 'peaks circle back, road turns' — just when you think you're lost in the mountains, the path opens up. Used figuratively for situations that unexpectedly improve.

Examples

Shìqing fēnghuí-lùzhuǎn, tā zuìzhōng ná dào le qiānzhèng.
Things took an unexpected turn — he finally got the visa.
Zhè bù xiǎoshuō de jiéjú fēnghuí-lùzhuǎn, ràng rén yìxiǎng-bùdào.
The novel's ending had a surprising twist that no one expected.

Tips

history
This idiom comes from a poem by the Song Dynasty poet Lu You (), describing a journey through mountains: — 'Mountains overlap, rivers wind, one fears there's no road; then willows are dark, flowers bright, and another village appears.' 峰回路转 captures that same moment of unexpected hope.

Stroke Order

fēng
huí
zhuǎn