不到长城非好汉

bù dào cháng chéng fēi hǎo hàn

lit. until you reach the Great Wall, you're not a proper person; fig. to get over difficulties before reaching the goal

no; not so

dào

to reach; to arrive

cháng

long

chéng

city walls

fēi

abbr. for 非洲[Fei1 zhou1], Africa

hǎo

good

hàn

the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD)