ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Mirror Flower, Water Moon

Mirror Flower, Water Moon is a concept in Chinese literature and poetry that represents a beautiful and serene scene of nature. It is often used to describe the reflection of flowers on the water and the glowing reflection of the moon on the surface of the water.

Imagine you are looking out at a pond or a lake. You see some pretty flowers growing near the edge of the water. Now, imagine the water is very still, like a mirror. When the water is still like this, it looks like the flowers are growing both above and below the water! So now you can see DOUBLE the amount of flowers!

In the evening or at night, you might see the moon in the sky. And if the water is still, it can look like there are TWO moons! One real moon in the sky and one reflection of the moon on the water, which looks like another moon. It looks like there's a moon in the sky and a moon in the water.

So, when someone talks about a "mirror flower, water moon", they are describing a beautiful scene where the flowers and moon are reflected on the still water, making it look like there are duplicate flowers and moons. It's a magical and tranquil image that lots of people love to write about and admire.