逢féng山shān開kāi路lù,，遇yù水shuǐ搭dā橋qiáo

What does 逢山開路，遇水搭橋 (féng shān kāi lù, yù shuǐ dā qiáo) mean?

逢山開路，遇水搭橋 (féng shān kāi lù, yù shuǐ dā qiáo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Meet a mountain, cut a road; meet water, build a bridge." In use it means: Face every obstacle with practical action rather than complaint. Solve problems as they arise with resourcefulness and resolve. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.

Literally: "Meet a mountain, cut a road; meet water, build a bridge.."

The reading

Obstacles do not ask permission before appearing, and solutions should not wait for perfect conditions before beginning. The mountain and the river are not personal; they are simply in the way, and the only question is what you will do about it. Complaining about terrain is the pastime of those who never arrive anywhere. The road-cutter does not curse the rock; the bridge-builder does not blame the current. Action is the only language that geography respects.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeyànyǔ 諺語
• FocusPresent-minded
• Element土 Earth
• Zodiac tie馬 Year of the Horse

Source Yuán Dynasty drama and folk sayings, Shuǐ Hǔ Zhuàn (水浒传) usage

Sits beside

Keep reading

Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.