千载难逢 — “An extremely rare opportunity or event”
千载难逢 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “an extremely rare opportunity or event”. Something that happens once in a blue moon or once in a thousand years. Literally, “a thousand years hard to meet/encounter”.
千载难逢 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 千qiān
- 载zǎi
- 难nán
- 逢féng
千载难逢 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 千载难逢
Origin and Story of 千载难逢
The idiom '千载难逢' (qiān zài nán féng) originates from the Tang Dynasty and is associated with the renowned literary figure Han Yu.
Han Yu, an orphan, studied diligently from a young age and became a scholar, later serving as a high-ranking official. During the reign of Emperor Xianzong, Buddhism was very popular, and the Emperor planned to welcome a Buddha's relic into the palace for worship. Han Yu strongly opposed this, writing a memorial titled 'Memorial on the Bone of Buddha' (谏迎佛骨表), in which he criticized the Emperor's actions. This angered Emperor Xianzong, who ordered Han Yu's banishment to Chaozhou.
Later, as Emperor Xianzong's reforms strengthened the central government, Han Yu wrote another memorial, 'Memorial to Thank the Emperor from Chaozhou Governor' (潮州刺史谢上表). In this document, he praised the Emperor as a restorer of the dynasty and suggested he perform the 'Fengshan' (封禅) ceremony at Mount Tai – a grand ritual to sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, usually reserved for emperors with extraordinary achievements. Han Yu subtly expressed his hope to participate in such a magnificent and 'thousand-year-rare' event (千载一时不可逢之嘉会), considering it a lifelong regret if he missed it.
Eventually, Emperor Xianzong recalled Han Yu to the capital. The phrase '千载难逢' thus came to describe an opportunity that is extremely rare and hard to come by, like an event that occurs only once in a thousand years.
Idioms Related to 千载难逢
Synonyms of 千载难逢
Antonyms of 千载难逢
More idioms starting with 千
- qiān千wàn万mǎi买lín邻Good neighbors are invaluable
- qiān千sī丝wàn万lǚ缕numerous intricate and complex connections
- qiān千chéng乘wàn万qí骑Magnificent array of chariots and cavalry
- qiān千shèng乘zhī之guó国A powerful feudal state
- qiān千chéng乘zhī之wáng王A paramount sovereign or emperor
- qiān千le了wàn万dàng当everything properly settled and arranged
- qiān千liǎo了bǎi百liǎo了Everything is settled
- qiān千liǎo了bǎi百dàng当Everything properly arranged and settled
- qiān千rén人yī一miàn面all the same; lacking originality
- qiān千rén人suǒ所zhǐ指universally condemned
- qiān千rén人nuò诺nuò诺，，bù不rú如yī一shì士è谔è谔One honest critic is better than a thousand yes-men
- qiān千chóu仇wàn万hèn恨countless grudges and deep hatred
Questions about 千载难逢
- What does 千载难逢 mean?
- 千载难逢 (qiān zǎi nán féng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “an extremely rare opportunity or event”.
- How do you pronounce 千载难逢?
- 千载难逢 is pronounced qiān zǎi nán féng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 千载难逢 literally mean?
- Literally, 千载难逢 means “a thousand years hard to meet/encounter”. It is used to mean “an extremely rare opportunity or event”.
- Where does 千载难逢 come from?
- 千载难逢 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 千载难逢?
- 一千年里也难碰到一次。形容机会极其难得。