Meaning of 清水衙门
清水衙门 means government office that did not handle money and offered no opportunities for graft (historical); government department or public institution with little funding and few benefits. Pronounced qīng shuǐ yá men.
- government office that did not handle money and offered no opportunities for graft (historical)
- government department or public institution with little funding and few benefits
Definitions & Examples
Zài在
gǔ古
dài代
，
lǐ礼
bù部
suàn算
shì是
qīng清
shuǐ水
yá衙
men门
，
bù不
xiàng像
hù户
bù部
nà那
yàng样
zhǎng掌
guǎn管
qián钱
liáng粮
。
In ancient times, the Ministry of Rites was considered a 'clear water yamen', unlike the Ministry of Revenue which managed money and grain.
Nà那
shí时
de的
qīng清
shuǐ水
yá衙
men门
suī虽
rán然
lāo捞
bù不
dào到
yóu油
shui水
，
dàn但
shì事
qíng情
yě也
shǎo少
，
bǐ比
jiào较
qīng清
xián闲
。
Although those 'clear water yamens' offered no opportunities for graft, they also had fewer affairs and were rather leisurely.