諺語 · a single proverb
世外桃源
What does 世外桃源 (shì wài táo yuán) mean?
世外桃源 (shì wài táo yuán) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "peach blossom spring beyond the world." In use it means: An idyllic, hidden paradise free from the troubles of the outside world. The fisherman who stumbled through the cave found a village untouched by war, taxes, or politics. 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 Rabbit.
Literally: "peach blossom spring beyond the world."
The reading
The fisherman found it by accident and could never find it again. That is the nature of paradise: it appears when you are not looking for it and vanishes when you go back with a map. The real lesson is not the village. It is the reminder that the world you live in could be closer to the village than you think, if you stopped fighting long enough to notice.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Tao Yuanming 陶淵明, 'Peach Blossom Spring' 桃花源記 (Eastern Jin dynasty)
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 Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 世外桃源 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 世外桃源 (shì wài táo yuán) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Tao Yuanming 陶淵明, 'Peach Blossom Spring' 桃花源記 (Eastern Jin dynasty). 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 世外桃源?
In Mandarin it is shì wài táo yuán. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 世外桃源 aloud in Mandarin.