諺語 · a single proverb
綠水青山就是金山銀山
What does 綠水青山就是金山銀山 (lǜ shuǐ qīng shān jiù shì jīn shān yín shān) mean?
綠水青山就是金山銀山 (lǜ shuǐ qīng shān jiù shì jīn shān yín shān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "green water and green mountains are the mountains of gold and silver." In use it means: A clean environment is true wealth; nature well cared for is worth more than gold. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.
Literally: "green water and green mountains are the mountains of gold and silver."
The reading
The mountain that keeps its green and the river that keeps its clarity are producing something the gold mine cannot: the conditions for all other life. Wealth extracted from a mountain that is left gray and the water left dark is wealth that has spent itself completely on the getting. The mountain kept green is the one that keeps giving.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese ecological wisdom; contemporary environmental philosophy
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 綠水青山就是金山銀山 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 綠水青山就是金山銀山 (lǜ shuǐ qīng shān jiù shì jīn shān yín shān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese ecological wisdom; contemporary environmental philosophy. 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 綠水青山就是金山銀山?
In Mandarin it is lǜ shuǐ qīng shān jiù shì jīn shān yín shān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 綠水青山就是金山銀山 aloud in Mandarin.