when a leopard dies , it leaves its skin

when a leopard dies , it leaves its skin

The Chinese idiom, B à OS à Li ú P í in pinyin, means that the skin of a leopard can be preserved after its death; it means that the good reputation will be passed on to later generations. It comes from the biography of Wang Yanzhang in the history of the new Five Dynasties.

The origin of Idioms

The biography of Wang Yanzhang in the history of the new Five Dynasties: "the leopard is dead, but the man is dead."

Idiom usage

It can be used as object, attributive and clause. example the body is dead, but the spirit is immortal. As the saying goes, "people die to keep their name, leopards die to keep their skin", which means this (Chapter 38 of Feng Yuxiang's my life).

Idiom story

During the Five Dynasties, Wang Yanzhang, a famous general of the Liang Dynasty, followed Zhu Wen, Emperor Taizu of the Liang Dynasty, to fight in the north and south. He made many achievements and was highly valued. After Zhu Zhen, emperor of the late Liang Dynasty, succeeded to the throne, the Tang army attacked the state of Liang. Wang Yanzhang was ordered to defend the enemy, but he was captured because he was outnumbered. Zhuang Zong of Tang Dynasty urged Wang Yanzhang to surrender. Wang Yanzhang said: the leopard will die to save his skin, while the others will die to save his reputation. He was soon killed.