阳春白雪

陽春白雪

yángchūnbáixuě

idiom #55,903

Meanings

1 highbrow art
2 refined and esoteric culture
3 art that appeals only to the few

Characters

Examples

古典音乐被很多人视为阳春白雪，离普通生活很远。

Gǔdiǎn yīnyuè bèi hěn duō rén shìwéi yáng chūn bái xuě, lí pǔtōng shēnghuó hěn yuǎn.

Many people see classical music as highbrow, far removed from ordinary life.

好的艺术既要有阳春白雪，也要有下里巴人。

Hǎo de yìshù jì yào yǒu yáng chūn bái xuě, yě yào yǒu xià lǐ bā rén.

Good art needs both the refined and the popular.

Tips

history

Originally two elegant musical pieces from the state of Chu, mentioned by Song Yu in 《对楚王问》. When they were performed, only a few dozen people could join in the chorus — hence the modern sense of 'art too rarified for the masses.' Its opposite is 下里巴人 (folk music / the popular).

Stroke Order

阳 yáng

春 chūn

白 bái

雪 xuě