雄关漫道真如铁

雄關漫道真如鐵

Xióng guān màn dào zhēn rú tiě

quotation

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。

Xióngguānmàndàozhēnrútiě, 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 lùshàng, xióngguānmàndàozhēnrútiě, 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