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During the Jin Dynasty, Yang Tan, a renowned figure from Mount Tai, was highly esteemed by Chancellor Xie An, and they shared a very close friendship.
When Xie An was seriously ill, he often entered the capital through the Xizhou Gate, and Yang Tan frequently accompanied him.
After Xie An's death, Yang Tan was overcome with grief. He ceased all forms of entertainment for several years and even refused to walk the Xizhou Road again, as it brought back painful memories.

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Open the tool →行不由西州路 (xíng bù yóu xī zhōu lù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to mourn a deceased friend or remember a departed loved one”.
行不由西州路 is pronounced xíng bù yóu xī zhōu lù in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 行不由西州路 means “Walk not by Xizhou Road”. It is used to mean “to mourn a deceased friend or remember a departed loved one”.
行不由西州路 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
行:走路;西州:城名,在今南京。指怀念故人,悲悼亡友