"Uncle Jiang" Mini World Uncle Jiang's Idioms: Ye Gong Hao Long

Chinese idiom: Ye Gong Hao Long

Pinyin: yè gōng hào lóng

Explanation: Ye Gong (叶公): a nobleman of the state of Chu in the Spring and Autumn period, named Zi Gao (子高), who was sealed in Ye (叶), an ancient euphony in Ye County of present-day Henan Province. It is a metaphor for saying verbally that one loves something, but actually does not really love it.

Chinese idiom story:

During the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a man named Duke Ye who loved dragons very much. His house was carved with dragons on the beams, pillars and doors and windows, and dragons were also painted on the walls. Legend has it that the real dragon in the sky was so touched by this that it came to Duke Ye's house, stuck its head through the window and put its tail across the living room. When Ye Gong saw this, he was so scared that he ran away with his head in his hands. It turned out that he didn't really like dragons. He loved the fake dragon and feared the real one. This idiom is a metaphor for loving something superficially, but actually not really loving it, or even fearing it.