千山万水

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: qiān shān wàn shuǐ
• English Translation: A thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers (an arduous journey)
• Idiom Composition: 「千」（A thousand; used here to signify a vast number.）＋「山」（Mountain; representing the physical obstacles of a journey.）＋「万」（Ten thousand; used here to signify an infinite number.）＋「水」（Water; referring to the rivers and streams that must be crossed.）
• Meaning: A metaphor for a long and difficult journey across vast distances, often involving numerous obstacles and hardships.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「千山万水」 contains the following nuances:

• Overwhelming Distance and Hardship: It doesn't just mean 'far'; it implies that the path is blocked by countless natural obstacles like mountains and rivers, highlighting the struggle to reach the goal.
• Figurative Numbers: The numbers 千 (qiān) and 万 (wàn) are not literal counts but rhetorical devices used to signify 'innumerable' or 'infinite'.

3. Usage

「千山万水」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Hardships of Travel: Used to describe the difficulty of coming from a far distance or embarking on a challenging journey.
  • Example:「他走遍千山万水，终于找到了失散多年的亲人。」
    （He traveled over a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers to finally find his long-lost relatives.）
• Emphasizing Distance: Used in literary contexts to express the loneliness of being far apart or the emotional weight of physical distance.
  • Example:「虽然我们隔着千山万水，但我们的心永远在一起。」
    （Although we are separated by a vast distance, our hearts are always together.）
• Process of Pursuit and Effort: A metaphor for the long process and many difficulties overcome to achieve a specific goal.
  • Example:「这项科研成果是团队历经千山万水才取得的。」
    （This scientific achievement was only reached after the team went through countless hardships.）

Additional Examples:

1. 为了求学，他不怕千山万水，独自一人来到了大城市。
   （To pursue his studies, he was not afraid of the long and arduous journey and came to the big city alone.）
2. 这封信跨越千山万水，终于送到了我的手中。
   （This letter crossed thousands of miles to finally reach my hands.）
3. 即使前方有千山万水阻挡，我也绝不放弃。
   （Even if there are innumerable obstacles ahead, I will never give up.）
4. 候鸟飞越千山万水，只为了回到温暖的南方。
   （Migratory birds fly across vast distances just to return to the warm south.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• This idiom is found in the works of Tang Dynasty (唐朝) poets, such as Zhang Qiao (张乔) in his poem 'To an Old Friend in Weiyang' (寄维阳故人), which speaks of being separated from a loved one by 千山万水 (qiān shān wàn shuǐ).
• A common variation is 万水千山 (wàn shuǐ qiān shān). This version was famously used by Mao Zedong (毛泽东) in his poem 'The Long March' (七律·长征) to describe the revolutionary spirit of overcoming the **countless mountains and rivers** during the historic retreat.
• While it can describe physical distance, in modern usage, it often carries an emotional weight, suggesting that the bond remains strong despite the **great distance** or that a goal was achieved through immense perseverance.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 跋山涉水 (bá shān shè shuǐ): To climb mountains and wade through rivers; to endure the hardships of travel.
  • 长途跋涉 (cháng tú bá shè): To make a long and arduous journey.link
  • 千里迢迢 (qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo): Traveling a long distance.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 一衣带水 (yī yī dài shuǐ): Separated only by a narrow strip of water; used to describe a very close distance.link
  • 近在咫尺 (jìn zài zhǐ chǐ): Right before one's eyes; very close at hand.

6. Summary

The idiom 千山万水 (qiān shān wàn shuǐ) literally describes 'thousands of mountains and tens of thousands of rivers.' It is used to emphasize the immense distance of a journey or the great number of difficulties one must overcome to reach a destination. It can also be expressed as 万水千山 (wàn shuǐ qiān shān) with the same meaning.