諺語 · a single proverb
山外有山，樓外有樓
What does 山外有山，樓外有樓 (shān wài yǒu shān lóu wài yǒu lóu) mean?
山外有山，樓外有樓 (shān wài yǒu shān lóu wài yǒu lóu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "beyond the mountain there is mountain, beyond the tower there is tower." In use it means: There is always something greater; the world extends beyond any visible limit. 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: "beyond the mountain there is mountain, beyond the tower there is tower."
The reading
Every summit commands a view of the next summit, and the tower that seems tallest from below reveals another tower when you finally reach it. This is not frustration but orientation: the world is larger than the current position can see, and that largeness is not a rebuke to where you are but an invitation to keep going. More always exists.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk saying
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 山外有山，樓外有樓 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 山外有山，樓外有樓 (shān wài yǒu shān lóu wài yǒu lóu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk saying. 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 山外有山，樓外有樓?
In Mandarin it is shān wài yǒu shān lóu wài yǒu lóu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 山外有山，樓外有樓 aloud in Mandarin.