上有天堂，下有蘇杭 shàng yǒu tiān táng ， xià yǒu sū háng

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. there is heaven above, and there is 蘇杭|苏杭[Su1 Hang2] below (idiom)
  2. fig. the beauty and affluence of Suzhou and Hangzhou is comparable with heaven

CHARACTERS

上 shàng
HSK 1
top; superior, highest; go up, send up
有 yǒu
HSK 1
have, own, possess; exist
天 tiān
HSK 1
sky, heaven; god, celestial
堂 táng
HSK 6
hall; government office
下 xià
HSK 1
under, underneath, below; down; inferior; bring down
有 yǒu
HSK 1
have, own, possess; exist
蘇 sū revive, resurrect; a species of thyme; transliteration of 'Soviet'
杭 háng cross stream; navigate