东山再起

Pronunciation: dōng shān zài qǐ Literal meaning: East mountain again rise

Origin & Usage

Xie An spent his early manhood in the hills at Kuaiji, declining office and keeping company with writers, until his family's position collapsed and he took a post at forty — old for a first appointment. He ended as the minister who directed the defence at the Fei River, where a vastly larger northern army was destroyed and the south survived. Rising again (再起) from East Mountain (东山) therefore means a return after a long absence, and it is reserved for comebacks with a clear implication that the person had been written off.

Examples

English: "After bankruptcy, the entrepreneur rebuilt his business empire from scratch"

Chinese: 破产后，这位企业家从头开始重建了他的商业帝国