和氏之璧，隋侯之珠 — “Invaluable and extremely rare treasures”

和氏之璧，隋侯之珠 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Invaluable and extremely rare treasures”. Priceless gems. Literally, “He Shi's jade, Sui Hou's pearl”.

Frequency

和氏之璧，隋侯之珠 Pronunciation and Pinyin

和氏之璧，隋侯之珠 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
和	hé	8	and, with, harmony, peace
氏	shì	4	ancient clan name or title
之	zhī	4	possessive or connective particle
璧	bì	18	jade disc
，	，	—
隋	suí	12	Sui Dynasty
侯	hóu	9	marquis or feudal lord
之	zhī	4	possessive or connective particle
珠	zhū	10	Pearl or bead

Example Sentence with 和氏之璧，隋侯之珠

这件传世古董工艺精湛，价值连城，简直是和氏之璧，隋侯之珠

This heirloom antique is exquisitely crafted and priceless, truly an invaluable and rare treasure.

Origin and Story of 和氏之璧，隋侯之珠

The idiom "He Shi's Jade, Sui Hou's Pearl" originates from two ancient Chinese legends.

The first tells of Bian He, a man from the Spring and Autumn Period. He found a piece of unpolished jade and presented it to King Li of Chu. The king's jewelers declared it a mere stone, and Bian He had his left foot cut off as punishment. Later, he presented it to King Wu of Chu, who also believed it was worthless, resulting in Bian He losing his right foot.

It was not until King Wen ascended the throne that the jade's true brilliance was recognized, and it was named "He Shi Bi" (He Shi's Jade), becoming one of the most famous and precious jades in Chinese history.

The second story involves Sui Hou, a marquis during the Zhou Dynasty. He once rescued a wounded snake. To express its gratitude, the snake spat out a magnificent, luminous pearl, which became known as "Sui Zhu" (Sui Hou's Pearl).

Both "He Shi Bi" and "Sui Zhu" symbolize objects of extraordinary value and rarity.