他tā鄉xiāng遇yù故gù知zhī

What does 他鄉遇故知 (tā xiāng yù gù zhī) mean?

他鄉遇故知 (tā xiāng yù gù zhī) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "meeting an old friend in a distant land." In use it means: One of life's great joys is running into someone you know far from home. Connection survives distance. 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 Dog.

Literally: "meeting an old friend in a distant land."

The reading

You are in a city where nobody knows your name. Then you turn a corner and there is a face you recognize. The relief is not about the person. It is about being known. For a moment, in a place where you are a stranger, someone remembers who you are.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeyànyǔ 諺語
• FocusPresent-minded
• Element土 Earth
• Zodiac tie狗 Year of the Dog

Source One of the four great joys (四大喜事), from classical lists

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 Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.