諺語 · a single proverb
健康如山
What does 健康如山 (jiàn kāng rú shān) mean?
健康如山 (jiàn kāng rú shān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "health like a mountain." In use it means: May your health be as enduring as a mountain; wishing robust and lasting health. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "health like a mountain."
The reading
The mountain does not ask for rest; it simply continues. What is solidly healthy has a quality of presence, a density of being, that the merely not-sick does not share. To cultivate health is to build a mountain inside the self, one that will hold against weather and time.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese blessing (common in folk and festive contexts)
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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Rabbit.
Questions
Is 健康如山 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 健康如山 (jiàn kāng rú shān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese blessing (common in folk and festive contexts). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 健康如山?
In Mandarin it is jiàn kāng rú shān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 健康如山 aloud in Mandarin.