Chinese idiom · 成语
世外桃源
Meaning
A peach blossom haven beyond the world; a utopian retreat.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary taleTao Yuanming’s Peach Blossom Spring (桃花源記) tells of a Wuling fisherman following a stream into a grove of peach trees. Beyond a narrow opening he finds fields, homes, and a community living peacefully. Its people say their ancestors fled the turmoil of Qin and have remained isolated ever since; they have not even heard of Han, much less Wei and Jin.
They welcome him with food and drink but ask him not to tell outsiders. After leaving, he marks his route and reports the discovery. An official expedition cannot find the way back, and another would-be visitor dies before going. The unreachable village is a literary ideal, not a verified lost settlement. The idiom names a tranquil refuge seemingly beyond ordinary troubles.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
这家藏在山谷里的民宿很安静，对我们来说就像世外桃源。
This quiet guesthouse tucked into a valley feels like a retreat from the world to us.
Can praise a peaceful place or describe an imagined ideal society; real peach trees are unnecessary.