峰回路转 fēnghuí-lùzhuǎn the mountain road twists around each new peak
the mountain road twists around each new peak (idiom); (of a mountain road) twisting and turning; figuratively an opportunity has come unexpectedly; things have taken a new turn
How to remember 峰回路转: 峰 peak + 回 return + 路 road + 转 to turn = the mountain road twists around each new peak.
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How it is used
- Idiom: the road winds round the peak - and figuratively, a situation takes an unexpected favorable turn - 就在大家绝望时,事情峰回路转 (jiù zài dàjiā juéwàng shí, shìqing fēnghuí-lùzhuǎn) just as everyone despaired, things took a hopeful turn.
- Literal sense describes twisting mountain roads; the common figurative use is the dramatic reversal of fortune for the better.
- Often follows a low point in the narrative. Contrast 柳暗花明 (liǔ'àn-huāmíng), a close cousin also meaning a bright turn emerges from a dead end.