梨园子弟 — “Performers, especially those in traditional Chinese opera”

梨园子弟 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Performers, especially those in traditional Chinese opera”. Originally referring to the court musicians and dancers during Emperor Xuanzong's reign in the Tang Dynasty. Literally, “Pear Garden Disciples”.

Frequency

梨园子弟 Pronunciation and Pinyin

梨园子弟 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
梨	lí	11	pear fruit or tree
园	yuán	7	garden, park, or grounds
子	zǐ	3	son, child, seed, small thing
弟	dì	7	younger brother

Example Sentence with 梨园子弟

他从小就跟着师傅学习戏曲，是当地有名的梨园子弟

He began learning opera with his master from a young age and is a well-known traditional opera performer in the local area.

Origin and Story of 梨园子弟

Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty had a profound love for music. His ministers once recounted a tale from the Spring and Autumn Period, about King Song who, while constructing a martial arts training ground, invited singers Gui and Sheji to perform alongside the laborers, significantly boosting their efficiency.

Inspired by this, Emperor Xuanzong, desiring music to play an even more impactful role, established a special music academy known as Liyuan (Pear Garden). Here, famous compositions such as 'The Song of Rainbow Skirts and Feathered Dresses' were frequently played.

The Emperor himself often visited Liyuan to personally check on and interact with these talented performers, who became known as 'Liyuan Zidi' (Pear Garden Disciples).