Originally describing elderly people with poor eyesight, seeing things vaguely. Later, it metaphorically refers to having a blurred or unclear understanding of a situation, making it hard to see things distinctly; to have a vague or superficial view of something.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
During the Tang Dynasty, the renowned poet Du Fu experienced a life full of hardships and misfortunes, often living in difficult circumstances. He made a boat his home, drifting from place to place.
During his travels, he arrived in Changsha and composed the poem titled "Aboard a Boat on Lesser Cold Food Day." In this poem, there are lines that read: "On a fine day, food and drink are still cold; leaning on a table, desolate, wearing a pheasant cap. The spring water makes the boat feel like sitting in heaven; old age makes flowers seem like viewing them through a mist. Graceful butterflies flutter past the idle curtain, scattered gulls descend into the rushing rapids."
The line "老年花似雾中看" (old age makes flowers seem like viewing them through a mist) describes the blurred vision of an elderly person. This imagery later evolved into the idiom "雾里看花," which is used to describe having a vague or indistinct perception of things, or a blurred understanding of a situation.