冰山难靠 — “Refers to power”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 冰山难靠?

比喻不能长久的权势，难于依靠。

冰山难靠 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to power”. Influence, or support that is temporary, unstable, and ultimately unreliable, making it unwise to depend on for the long term. Literally, “Iceberg difficult to rely on”.

Frequency

冰山难靠 Pronunciation and Pinyin

冰山难靠 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
冰	bīng	6	ice; to chill; pure
山	shān	3	mountain or hill
难	nán	10	difficult, troublesome, or bad
靠	kào	15	lean on, rely on

Example Sentence with 冰山难靠

把公司的未来寄托在某位高层短暂的权力上，无疑是冰山难靠，风险极大

Entrusting the company's future to a senior executive's temporary power is undoubtedly like relying on an iceberg, carrying immense risks.

Origin and Story of 冰山难靠

During the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong deeply favored his concubine Yang Guifei. As a result, her family, especially her cousin Yang Guozhong, rose dramatically in power. Yang Guozhong became a prime minister and held over forty other official positions, wielding immense authority. All official appointments in the court were privately decided at his residence.

At that time, there was a scholar from Shaanxi named Zhang Tuan, who had passed the imperial examination but had no opportunity for an official post. His friends urged him to visit Yang Guozhong, believing it would immediately secure him a promotion and wealth. However, Zhang Tuan consistently refused.

He told his friends, 'You all see Yang Guozhong as stable as Mount Tai, but I believe he is merely an iceberg. If there is ever turmoil in the empire, he will collapse, just as an iceberg melts under the sun. At that time, you will lose your support.'

Soon after, An Lushan launched a rebellion, capturing the capital Chang'an. Yang Guozhong fled with Emperor Xuanzong towards Sichuan. At Mawei Station, he was killed by the soldiers, and Yang Guifei was also ordered to be hanged. The Yang family's 'iceberg' indeed melted away.