燕骏千金 — “A metaphor for earnestly seeking and attracting talented individuals”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 燕骏千金?

后以之为招纳贤士之典。

燕骏千金 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a metaphor for earnestly seeking and attracting talented individuals”. Often by showing great sincerity and respect, emphasizing that genuine effort in recruitment will draw brilliant minds. Literally, “Yan steed worth a thousand gold”.

Frequency

燕骏千金 Pronunciation and Pinyin

燕骏千金 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
燕	yān	16	swallow bird
骏	jùn	10	fine horse, swift, eminent
千	qiān	3	thousand, many
金	jīn	8	gold, metal, money

Example Sentence with 燕骏千金

这家公司为了引进顶尖技术人才，不惜重金，真正做到了燕骏千金，让许多优秀工程师慕名而来。

To attract top technical talent, this company spared no expense, truly exemplifying the spirit of 'Yan steed worth a thousand gold,' which drew many excellent engineers to join.

Origin and Story of 燕骏千金

During the Warring States period, after King Zhao of Yan ascended the throne, he was eager to recruit talented individuals to strengthen his state.

Guo Wei used a horse as an analogy, recounting that an ancient monarch offered a thousand pieces of gold for a swift horse. After three years, he only acquired a dead horse. He then bought its bones for five hundred pieces of gold. Consequently, within less than a year, three swift horses arrived.

Guo Wei used this story to persuade King Zhao of Yan that if he genuinely sought virtuous individuals, talented people would come from far and wide upon hearing his sincerity.