Ascending Stork Tower

The white sun leans against the mountains, The Yellow River rushes toward the sea. If you wish to see a thousand miles further, You must climb one more story up.

The sun declines beyond the mountains, The Yellow River charges to the sea. To extend your gaze a thousand miles, Climb yet another flight of stairs.

This poem is one of the most famous in Chinese literature, often memorized by children. It captures both a specific landscape view and a universal truth about ambition and self-improvement. The famous last two lines have become a proverb about the importance of continuous learning and growth. The poem moves from the concrete (the view from the tower) to the abstract (a philosophical insight).