明修栈道，暗渡陈仓

Traditional form:

明修棧道，暗渡陳倉

Pinyin (reading):

míngxiūzhàndào,àndù Chéncāng

Definitions:

• lit. repair the plank road by day while secretly crossing the Wei River 渭河 ( Wèi Hé) at Chencang (idiom, refers to a stratagem used by Liu Bang 劉邦／刘邦 ( Liú Bāng) in 206 BC against Xiang Yu 項羽／项羽 ( Xiàng Yǔ) of Chu)
• fig. to feign one thing while doing another
• to cheat under cover of a diversion

Characters:

• 明 - bright, clear; to explain, to understand, to shed light
• 修 - to study; to repair; to decorate; to cultivate
• 栈 - warehouse; tavern, inn
• 道 - method, way; path, road
• 暗 - dark, gloomy; obscure; secret, covert
• 渡 - to cross, to ferry over, to pass through
• 陈 - to display, to exhibit; to plead; surname
• 仓 - granary, barn; cabin, berth

Traditional characters:

• 明 - bright, clear; to explain, to understand, to shed light
• 修 - to study; to repair; to decorate; to cultivate
• 棧 - warehouse; tavern, inn
• 道 - method, way; path, road
• 暗 - dark, gloomy; obscure; secret, covert
• 渡 - to cross, to ferry over, to pass through
• 陳 - to display, to exhibit; to plead; surname
• 倉 - granary, barn; cabin, berth