Chinese idiom · 成语
永垂不朽
Meaning
Forever enduring, never decaying; immortal legacy.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary expressionThe image is of a reputation handed down without decaying, not a body that lives forever. Taiwan's Ministry of Education traces its earlier wording to Cai Yong's Han-dynasty inscription honoring Hu Guang. The inscription promises to transmit the statesman's distinguished deeds to later generations and uses the words 垂不朽, 'hand down without perishing.'
The complete four-character expression is also documented in the Book of Wei, in an account of regulations intended to endure. These are literary attestations, not a single miraculous event. Today the idiom is solemn praise for someone whose achievements, sacrifice, or example deserve lasting remembrance.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
纪念碑上刻着他们的名字，愿这份舍己救人的精神永垂不朽。
Their names are engraved on the memorial; may their spirit of risking themselves to save others be remembered forever.
Solemn commemorative language for enduring deeds or a person's legacy, not ordinary popularity.