鱼跃龙门 Carp leaps over the Loong Gate

The Records of Sanqin (三秦记, sān qín jì), a historical and geographical text written during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220), includes a traditional folk tale about carp turning into dragons. It describes a place called the Loong Gate in the Yellow River, where the flowing river water formed a waterfall (瀑布, pù bù). Every spring, yellow carp in the river swim upstream against the current (水流, shuǐ liú), and those that manage to leap over this waterfall transform into dragons.

This legend symbolizes the spirit of braving difficulties and striving for success. In ancient times, it was commonly used as a metaphor for success and social advancement such as passing imperial examinations (科举考试, kē jǔ kǎo shì) or getting a promotion.

eg.

He got promoted to a managerial role. It's truly like a carp leaping over the Loong Gate.

Tā shēng zhí chéng le jīng lǐ, zhēn de shì yú yuè lóng mén.

他升职成了经理，真的是鱼跃龙门。