諺語 · a single proverb
三十六計，走為上計
Simplified: 三十六计，走为上计
What does 三十六計，走為上計 (sān shí liù jì zǒu wéi shàng jì) mean?
三十六計，走為上計 (sān shí liù jì zǒu wéi shàng jì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "of the thirty-six strategies, retreat is the best." In use it means: Sometimes the wisest move is to withdraw; knowing when to walk away is the highest strategy. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "of the thirty-six strategies, retreat is the best."
The reading
There are thirty-six strategies, and the last one is the one that saves the most lives: leave. Not every battle needs to be fought. Not every hill needs to be defended. The general who retreats today with an army intact is more dangerous tomorrow than the general who stood his ground today and lost everything.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Thirty-Six Stratagems 三十六計; Nan Qi Shu 南齊書, Wang Jingze biography
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 三十六計，走為上計 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 三十六計，走為上計 (sān shí liù jì zǒu wéi shàng jì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Thirty-Six Stratagems 三十六計; Nan Qi Shu 南齊書, Wang Jingze biography. 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 三十六計，走為上計?
In Mandarin it is sān shí liù jì zǒu wéi shàng jì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 三十六計，走為上計 aloud in Mandarin.