瞿
surname Qu; startled; Taiwan pr. [ju4]
Closest English meanings
surname·to look·watchful
The Calligrapher — Qú Lìngwèn 瞿令问
Tang seal-script master famed for his suspended-needle seal (xuanzhen).
Tang calligrapher (), master of seal script — known for 《峿台铭》. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
瞿 began as a startle — the sharp lift of a bird of prey's watchful gaze, the 瞿然 look classical ritual texts prescribed for the attentive person. It survives most vividly in geography: 瞿塘峡, the sheer western gate of the Three Gorges, where Tang poets like Du Fu watched the Yangtze squeeze through cliffs and counted, boat by boat, the perils of the rapids.
Common words & phrases
- 瞿塘峡 Qutang Gorge · gorge
- 瞿然 startled · alarmed look
Read the story behind the character
Today you meet 瞿 mostly as a surname and a destination. Cruise ships thread the 瞿塘峡 (Qutang Gorge) between sheer walls while tourists photograph the carved characters at Kui Gate; hikers describe the 瞿然 (startled, alarmed) thrill of the first view of the rapids. As a family name it belongs to scientists, athletes, and the occasional protagonist of a spy novel.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Qú Lìngwèn 瞿令问, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.