八仙过海
- Literal
- eight immortals cross the sea
- Figurative
- Everyone draws on their own talents or means to get something done; it is nearly always followed by 各显神通 and usually sounds admiring.
Where does 八仙过海 come from?
It comes from the legend of the Eight Immortals, much-loved figures of Taoist folk tradition. The Ming-dynasty novel 《东游记》 tells it this way: on their travels, the eight reach the Eastern Sea and, instead of crossing it on clouds, each gets across by means of their own magic object, thrown onto the water and used as a boat. The notion of each relying on their own powers survives in the full saying 八仙过海，各显神通. Today it is used when, facing the same challenge, each person or group solves it in their own way, and it is usually said admiringly.
Source (出处): 吴元泰《东游记》
How is 八仙过海 used? Two examples
- 这次方案比赛不限形式，各个小组八仙过海，各显神通。
The proposal contest had no set format, so every team brought its own talents to bear.
- 装修预算有限，全家八仙过海，各显神通，硬是省下了一大笔。
The renovation budget was tight, so everyone in the family found their own way to cut costs, and between us we managed to save a good chunk.
In Wanyu, all 400 chengyu have audio on every sentence, and you can save them to your decks and review them with spaced repetition. Free.
