玉关人老 — “An old man at Jade Gate Pass”
玉关人老 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to the sentiment of an old soldier or official who has served long on the frontier and yearns to return home”. Literally, “An old man at Jade Gate Pass”.
玉关人老 Pronunciation and Pinyin
玉关人老 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 玉关人老
Origin and Story of 玉关人老
During the Western Han Dynasty, General Ban Chao was ordered to guard the western frontier, resisting invasions from the Xiongnu and other tribes. He defended the border for 31 years, making the Xiongnu tremble with fear and dare not launch attacks.
As Ban Chao grew old, he yearned for his family in the Central Plains. He wrote to Emperor He of Han, saying: "Your humble servant dares not hope to reach Jiuquan Commandery; I only wish to re-enter the Jade Gate Pass while still alive."
Emperor He then issued an edict recalling him to his hometown to spend his old age.
Idioms Related to 玉关人老
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Open the tool →Questions about 玉关人老
What does 玉关人老 mean?
玉关人老 (yù guān rén lǎo) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to the sentiment of an old soldier or official who has served long on the frontier and yearns to return home”.
How do you pronounce 玉关人老?
玉关人老 is pronounced yù guān rén lǎo in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 玉关人老 literally mean?
Literally, 玉关人老 means “an old man at Jade Gate Pass”. It is used to mean “refers to the sentiment of an old soldier or official who has served long on the frontier and yearns to return home”.
Where does 玉关人老 come from?
玉关人老 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 玉关人老?
借指久戍思归之情。