Đáy giếng thang lầu

Definition
  1. Noun Phrase:
    • The bottom of a well and a high tower: A classical Vietnamese literary and historical allusion referring to two separate stories of virtuous women who chose death by jumping into a well or from a tower to preserve their loyalty and chastity. The phrase symbolizes ultimate fidelity, chastity, and the willingness to die rather than be dishonored.
Usage Examples
  • Noun Phrase:
    • Tấm gương "đáy giếng thang lầu" được ngợi ca trong văn học cổ. (The exemplar of "the bottom of a well and a high tower" is praised in classical literature.)
    • Lòng trung trinh của bà được ví với đáy giếng thang lầu. (Her faithfulness was compared to the virtue of "the bottom of a well and a high tower".)
Advanced Usage
  • This phrase is primarily used in literary, historical, or formal contexts to discuss Confucian virtue, female chastity in feudal society, or to make classical allusions. It is not used in everyday conversation.
Historical and Cultural Context
  • The phrase combines two distinct historical anecdotes:
    • The Well (Đời Đường - Tang Dynasty): Trương Thị, the wife of Trần Trọng, along with her two daughters-in-law, jumped into a well to kill themselves rather than be captured and dishonored by bandits.
    • The Tower (Đời Tấn - Jin Dynasty): Lạc Châu (Green Pearl), the beloved concubine of the wealthy official Thạch Sùng (Shi Chong), jumped from a high tower to her death. She did this after a powerful official, Tôn Tú (Sun Xiu), fabricated an edict to have Thạch Sùng arrested, a plot motivated by his desire to seize her. She chose death to remain loyal to her master and to prevent further calamity for him.
Synonyms
  • Unwavering fidelity: Steadfast loyalty.
  • Chastity unto death: The preservation of purity even at the cost of one's life.
  • Virtuous sacrifice: A righteous act of giving up one's life for a moral principle.
Related Concepts and Idioms
  • Tiết hạnh khả phong: (An idiom) Laudable virtue and chastity; often used to describe women with exemplary morals.
  • Trung trinh tiết liệt: (A set phrase) Ultimate loyalty, chastity, and heroic sacrifice. This is a direct conceptual synonym for the sentiment embodied by "đáy giếng thang lầu".