天高皇帝远 tiān gāo huáng dì yuǎn

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. the sky is high and the emperor is far away (idiom)
  2. fig. remote places are beyond the reach of the central government

CHARACTERS

天 tiān
HSK 1
sky, heaven; god, celestial
高 gāo
HSK 1
high, tall; lofty, elevated
皇 huáng
HSK 6
royal, imperial; ruler, superior
帝 dì
HSK 6
supreme ruler, emperor; god
远 yuǎn
HSK 2
distant, remote, far; profound