Only standing beneath the falls did I grasp the power of ‘a flying torrent plunging three thousand feet.’
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From Li Bai 李白's Tang poem 《望庐山瀑布》: ‘飞流直下三千尺，疑是银河落九天。’ (A flying torrent plunges straight down three thousand feet — I suspect the Milky Way has fallen from the ninth heaven.) The classic model of Li Bai's cosmic hyperbole.
usage
Often quoted with 疑是银河落九天. 尺 (chǐ) is a traditional foot of about 33 cm. 三千尺 is poetic exaggeration, not a literal measure.
