千山鸟飞绝 (qiān shān niǎo fēi jué, over a thousand mountains, no bird flies) opens 江雪 (jiāng xuě), River Snow, by the Tang writer Liu Zongyuan, written while he lived in exile. The poem paints an empty white world: no birds, no footprints, only an old fisherman in a straw cape and hat, fishing alone on the cold river. Its twenty characters are simple to write but full of feeling, which makes it a favorite for handwriting and brush practice. This worksheet gives each line a row of grids with pinyin for copying and space to write from memory, plus a translation and notes on 绝 (jué, gone), 踪 (zōng, footprints) and 蓑笠 (suō lì, a straw cape and hat). Read the first character of each line in order and you will find a hidden phrase: 千万孤独 (qiān wàn gū dú), utterly alone. Print it free or save the PDF.
江雪 (jiāng xuě) with pinyin and English
- 千山鸟飞绝， qiān shān niǎo fēi jué: Over a thousand mountains, no bird flies;
- 万径人踪灭。 wàn jìng rén zōng miè: on ten thousand paths, no footprints.
- 孤舟蓑笠翁， gū zhōu suō lì wēng: In a lone boat, an old man in a straw cape and hat
- 独钓寒江雪。 dú diào hán jiāng xuě: fishes alone in the snow on the cold river.
About the poem
江雪 (jiāng xuě), River Snow: by 柳宗元 (Liǔ Zōngyuán), Tang dynasty (618-907).
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Frequently asked questions
What does 江雪 (jiāng xuě) mean?
江雪 (jiāng xuě) means 'River Snow'. Snow has emptied a thousand mountains of birds and every path of footprints; only an old fisherman in a straw cape and hat sits in a lone boat, fishing on the cold, snowy river.
Who wrote 江雪 (jiāng xuě)?
江雪 (jiāng xuě) was written by 柳宗元 (Liǔ Zōngyuán), a Tang writer and official who wrote it while in exile in the south. Liu Zongyuan wrote it in the Tang dynasty.
How long is 江雪 (jiāng xuě)?
江雪 (jiāng xuě) has four lines of five characters, 20 characters in all. A few are less common, such as 蓑 (suō) and 笠 (lì), the straw cape and hat. The worksheet gives each line its own row of grids with pinyin above.
What is the hidden message in 江雪 (jiāng xuě)?
Read the first character of each line: 千 (qiān), 万 (wàn), 孤 (gū), 独 (dú). Together they make 千万孤独 (qiān wàn gū dú), 'utterly alone', which matches the lonely fisherman. Whether the poet meant it is unknown, but readers love to find it.
Is this worksheet free to print?
Yes. The 江雪 (jiāng xuě) worksheet is free to print or save as a PDF, with no account or email needed, and you can print as many copies as you like for a class. Choose A4 or US Letter before you press Print or Save PDF.