蓬ほう莱らい

noun

Mount Penglai; Penglai Island; enchanted land of perpetual youth

In Chinese mythology, a legendary island-mountain where immortals live and youth never fades. Often used metaphorically for an idyllic, unattainable paradise.

• 蓬ほう莱らいは、中ちゅう国ごくの伝でん説せつに登とう場じょうする不ふ老ろう不ふ死しの仙せん境きょうだ。

  Penglai is a legendary land of immortals in Chinese mythology.

• 彼かれはこの庭にわを蓬ほう莱らいに見み立たてた。

  He likened this garden to Penglai.

noun

sacred mountain; holy peak

Used poetically for mountains considered sacred or paradise-like, especially Mount Fuji and Mount Kumano. Often appears in the compound 三蓬莱 (three sacred mountains).

See also: 三蓬莱

• 富ふ士じ山さんは古こ来らいより蓬ほう莱らいの一ひとつとされてきた。

  Mount Fuji has been regarded as one of the sacred mountains since ancient times.

noun

Kansai New Year decoration

Abbreviation of 蓬莱飾り. A traditional New Year decoration in the Kansai region, made from food items like kelp and dried persimmons, symbolizing good fortune and longevity.

See also: 蓬莱飾り

• 関かん西さいでは、お正しょう月がつに蓬ほう莱らいを床とこの間まに飾かざる習しゅう慣かんがある。

  In Kansai, there is a custom of displaying a Penglai decoration in the alcove at New Year's.

noun

Formosa; Taiwan

Historical name for Taiwan, used in classical Chinese and old Japanese texts. Now rare and largely replaced by 台湾.

• 古こ地ち図ずには、台たい湾わんが蓬ほう莱らいと記しるされていることがある。

  On old maps, Taiwan is sometimes labeled as Penglai.