







轩车载鹤 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to confer official ranks and privileges indiscriminately or inappropriately, especially on unworthy recipients; to show excessive and absurd indulgence in a trivial pursuit, often at the expense of important duties”. Literally, “Ornate carriage carrying cranes”.
In 668 BCE, after Ji Chi, son of Duke Hui of Wei, became Duke Yi of Wei, he showed no interest in strengthening the state or its military.
Instead, he spent his days doting on cranes, going so far as to bestow official titles and salaries upon them, even providing them with luxurious carriages (xuān chē). This extravagance caused widespread resentment among the common people.
Taking advantage of this, the northern Di tribe launched an attack on Wei. The Wei soldiers, disheartened by their duke's absurd priorities, offered no resistance and fled. Duke Yi of Wei was subsequently killed by the Di forces.

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Open the tool →轩车载鹤 (xuān chē zài hè) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to confer official ranks and privileges indiscriminately or inappropriately, especially on unworthy recipients; to show excessive and absurd indulgence in a trivial pursuit, often at the expense of important duties”.
轩车载鹤 is pronounced xuān chē zài hè in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 轩车载鹤 means “Ornate carriage carrying cranes”. It is used to mean “to confer official ranks and privileges indiscriminately or inappropriately, especially on unworthy recipients; to show excessive and absurd indulgence in a trivial pursuit, often at the expense of important duties”.
轩车载鹤 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
轩车:古代有帷幕的车子。卫懿公用轩车载鹤。比喻胡乱封官赐爵