Chinese idiom · 成语
盛极而衰
Meaning
At peak, decline follows; prosperity precedes fall.
Character by character
Origin and story
literary expressionThe exact phrase is attested in a Tang memorial text by Quan Deyu, preserved in Quan Tang Wen. Mourning a deceased censor, Quan begins with the inevitability of change and the idea that flourishing reaches a limit and declines. He then turns to a painful contradiction: if goodness should bring blessings, why has this respected man died before fulfilling everyone's hopes? In that setting, the words belong to reflection on mortality, not a story of an arrogant ruler's punishment. Later usage applies the same pattern to families, institutions, fashions, or businesses that decline after reaching their height.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
这家商场曾经顾客盈门，后来却盛极而衰，如今只剩几家店铺。
This shopping center once overflowed with customers, but it declined after its heyday; now only a few shops remain.
Describes decline following a period of great prosperity, not a guaranteed rule for every success.