Chinese idiom · 成语
柳暗花明
Meaning
Dim willows, bright flowers; hope after despair.
Character by character
Origin and story
Poetic imageThe contrast of shaded willows with bright flowers appears in Tang poetry before Lu You. Wang Wei describes dark willows and shining blossoms, and Wu Yuanheng uses the exact four-character sequence in a poem about parting beside a pool. In those settings the words describe attractive scenery.
Lu You's Song poem Visiting a Village West of the Mountains gives the image its especially familiar sense of unexpected hope. Winding mountains and waters seem to leave no route ahead, then another village appears amid willows and flowers. The poem also celebrates rural hospitality and customs. Later speakers borrowed that change of prospect for situations in which an apparent dead end suddenly opens into a possibility.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
项目差点取消，没想到新伙伴愿意加入，事情又柳暗花明了。
The project was nearly canceled, but an unexpected new partner joined and things suddenly looked hopeful again.
Describes an encouraging turn after difficulty; can also describe spring scenery.