- 海晏河清 hǎiyànhéqīng the world is at peacethe sea is calm and the Yellow River is clear; used to describe a state of peace and prosperity throughout the land
- 河清海晏 héqīnghǎiyàn peaceful timesthe Yellow River is clear and the sea is calm; used to describe a time of great peace and prosperity throughout the world
- 河清难俟 héqīngnánsì life is too short to waitIt takes too long to wait for something that is unlikely to happen; literally meaning it is hard to wait for the Yellow River to run clear. This idiom is based on the classical text [[左传|左傳|zuo3 zhuan4]], referring to the rare nature of the river clearing and the brevity of human life.
- 黄河清 huánghéqīng a rarityan extremely rare or impossible event, based on the fact that the Yellow River is normally muddy
