# 买椟还珠

mǎi dú huán zhū

Value the packaging over the substance

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Buy the box and return the pearl

**Traditional Chinese:** 買櫝還珠

**Register:** Critical · literary

[Choices & judgment](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/decisions)

## When to use it

Use when presentation distracts from the real value of something.

It implies poor judgment, not simply liking beautiful packaging.

## Behind the words

A fable in Han Feizi tells of a buyer so taken with a decorated box that he returns the pearl inside. The valuable contents are overlooked.

The box is attractive, but the pearl inside is the principal object of value. The idiom criticizes mistaking a secondary feature for what really matters and discarding the valuable part. It is not a criticism of appreciating beautiful packaging in itself. The comparison works best when the context clearly distinguishes the presentation from the substance it was meant to contain.

## Examples

选课程只看宣传，不看内容，可能会买椟还珠。

### Traditional Chinese

選課程只看宣傳，不看內容，可能會買櫝還珠。

xuǎn kè chéng zhī kàn xuān chuán ， bú kàn nèi róng ， kě néng huì mǎi dú huán zhū 。

Choosing a course by its promotion rather than its content can mean valuing the wrong thing.

买课程只看包装，不看教学内容，未免买椟还珠。

### Traditional Chinese

買課程只看包裝，不看教學內容，未免買櫝還珠。

mǎi kè chéng zhī kàn bāo zhuāng ， bú kàn jiào xué nèi róng ， wèi miǎn mǎi dú huán zhū 。

Choosing a course for its packaging while ignoring the teaching values appearance over substance.

他为了漂亮的封面买书，却把正文删掉，真是买椟还珠。

### Traditional Chinese

他為了漂亮的封面買書，卻把正文刪掉，真是買櫝還珠。

tā wèi le piào liang de fēng miàn mǎi shū ， què bǎ zhèng wén shān diào ， zhēn shì mǎi dú huán zhū 。

He bought the book for its cover but discarded the text, valuing the container over its contents.

招聘时只看名校标签，不看实际能力，有点买椟还珠。

### Traditional Chinese

招聘時只看名校標籤，不看實際能力，有點買櫝還珠。

zhāo pìn shí zhī kàn míng xiào biāo qiān ， bú kàn shí jì néng lì ， yǒu diǎn mǎi dú huán zhū 。

Recruiting by prestigious school labels while ignoring actual ability favors packaging over substance.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 4, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=199&q=1&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E8%B2%B7%E6%AB%9D%E9%82%84%E7%8F%A0)

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