雄关漫道真如铁

雄關漫道真如鐵

xióngguānmàndàozhēnrútiě

phrase

Meanings

1 don't say the great pass is truly like iron
2 don't overstate how impregnable the obstacle is — it can be crossed

Characters

don't (classical, = 莫)

Examples

雄关漫道真如铁，改革再难也要向前推进。

Xióng guān màn dào zhēn rú tiě, gǎigé zài nán yě yào xiàngqián tuījìn.

The great pass is not truly iron — however hard reform gets, we must press on.

创业路上，雄关漫道真如铁，坚持就会看到希望。

Chuàngyè lù shàng, xióng guān màn dào zhēn rú tiě, jiānchí jiù huì kàndào xīwàng.

On the entrepreneurial road, the pass isn't really iron — persist and you'll see hope.

Tips

history

From Mao Zedong's 1935 ci-poem 《忆秦娥·娄山关》, written after the Red Army's victory at Loushan Pass during the Long March: 雄关漫道真如铁，而今迈步从头越 — 'Say not the grand pass is truly like iron; today we stride over it and start anew.' 漫道 here is classical for 别说/莫说 ('don't say'). A favorite in speeches on overcoming difficulty.

usage

Note that 漫道 means 'don't say' or 'never say' — students often mistake it for 漫长的道路 (a long road). Almost always paired with the follow-up line 而今迈步从头越.

Stroke Order

雄 xióng

关 guān

漫 màn

道 dào

真 zhēn

如 rú

铁 tiě