‘Yǔhuà’ literally means 'feather transformation'—'yǔ' (feather) symbolizes lightness, flight, and transcendence, while 'huà' (transformation) denotes a profound, often spiritual, change. In Daoist belief, it refers to the mystical ascension of a cultivated adept who sheds mortal form and rises to immortality, often depicted as growing feathers or riding cranes into heaven.

The term appears in classical texts, poetry, and religious discourse—not in daily speech—but remains culturally resonant in literature, art, and historical narratives about immortals. Though rooted in Daoism, it occasionally surfaces metaphorically in modern writing to evoke poetic departure, artistic transcendence, or serene passing, always carrying connotations of elevation, purity, and release from earthly limits.