To give a quick glance; to look at things cursorily; to make a hurried and superficial observation without paying close attention to details.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
The idiom "走马观花" originated from a poem by Meng Jiao, a poet from the Tang Dynasty. In his youth, Meng Jiao lived a reclusive and simple life on Mount Song. Despite his mother's encouragement, he repeatedly failed the imperial examinations in the capital.
It wasn't until he was 41 years old that he finally passed and became a *jinshi*. Overwhelmed with joy, he wrote the famous lines: "No need to boast of my past humble days, today my unrestrained thoughts know no bounds. With the spring breeze, my horse gallops joyfully, in one day, I have seen all the flowers of Chang'an."
The line "一日看尽长安花" (in one day, seen all the flowers of Chang'an) vividly describes him triumphantly riding his horse, quickly glancing at all the beautiful flowers in the capital city. This initially conveyed a feeling of immense joy and triumph, where one is so elated that they quickly take in everything.
Later, the idiom "走马观花" evolved to metaphorically describe making a hurried and superficial observation of something without delving into details.