昔人已乘黄鹤去

昔人已乘黃鶴去
xīrényǐchénghuánghèqù
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 the ancients have already ridden the yellow crane away
  2. 2 (fig.) the person of the past is long gone, only the site remains
  3. 3 (lit.) the former person already mounted the yellow crane and departed

Examples

Dēng shàng Huánghèlóu, nánmiǎn xiǎngqǐ xī rén yǐ chéng huánghè qù.
Climbing the Yellow Crane Tower, one can't help remembering 'the ancient has ridden the yellow crane away.'
Gùjū yóu zài, xī rén yǐ chéng huánghè qù, zhǐ liú xià yī duàn chuánshuō.
The old residence still stands, but 'the one of old has ridden the yellow crane away,' leaving only a legend.

Tips

history
Opening of 》(Cui Hao, Tang): 此地空余不复白云悠悠 (The one of old has ridden the yellow crane away; this place is left with only the Yellow Crane Tower. The yellow crane, once gone, returns no more; white clouds for a thousand years drift on in vain). Legend says an immortal rode a yellow crane from the tower. The poem is so beloved that Li Bai, visiting later, famously declined to write, saying 眼前不得上头 (There's a scene before my eyes I cannot describe — Cui Hao has written the poem above).
usage
The Yellow Crane Tower () stands on Snake Hill in Wuhan, rebuilt many times. The phrase is the classical template for 'the person is gone, the place remains' sentiment — often used as a eulogy.

Stroke Order

rén
chéng
huáng