the woman in her thirty-forties

Half old Xu Niang

The synonym "Xu Niang banlao" generally refers to "Xu Niang banlao". As a Chinese idiom, Pinyin is "B à NL à ox ú Ni á ng", which means a middle-aged woman with charm. It comes from the southern history, the biography of empress concubine, Emperor Xu of Liang Yuan.

Notes on Idioms

Xu Niang: refers to the Xu family, the concubine of emperor yuan of Liang Dynasty.

The origin of Idioms

"Xiao liyang's horse is as old as a horse, while Xu Niang is as old as a horse, but she is still affectionate."

Idiom usage

As predicate, object, clause; used of people. example although she is a half aged Xu Niang, she has fair skin and looks very young. Chapter 9 of Li Liuru's changes in 60 years

Idiom story

During the Southern Dynasties, Xu ZhaoPei, the concubine of Xiao Yi, the king of Xiangdong in the Liang Dynasty, was not favored and became a traitor with Zhiyuan Taoist, he Hui and Ji Jiang of Yaoguang temple in Jingzhou. Ji Jiang said with emotion: "I didn't expect that Xu Niang was half old, but she was still charming, so romantic and affectionate." Xiao Yi can't bear to order her to commit suicide.