strategically important terrain; imposing and formidable
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiomatic expression
strategically located and difficult to access terrain
literaryOriginally used to describe the strategic, formidable geography of a place. Commonly associated with historically important cities or military strongholds.
Nán南
jīng京
sù素
yǒu有
hǔ虎
jù踞
lóng龙
pán盘
zhī之
chēng称
，
dì地
shì势
shí十
fēn分
xiǎn险
yào要
。
Nanjing has long been known as 'the crouching tiger and coiled dragon' due to its strategically formidable terrain.
Zhè这
zuò座
yào要
sài塞
jiàn建
zài在
shān山
dǐng顶
，
kě可
wèi谓
hǔ虎
jù踞
lóng龙
pán盘
，
yì易
shǒu守
nán难
gōng攻
。
The fortress built on the mountaintop is like a crouching tiger and coiled dragon, easy to defend but difficult to attack.
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Shī诗
rén人
yòng用
hǔ虎
jù踞
lóng龙
pán盘
lái来
xíng形
róng容
cǐ此
chù处
shān山
hé河
de的
xióng雄
wěi伟
。
The poet used the phrase 'tiger crouch, dragon coil' to describe the majestic mountains and rivers here.