扬幡招魂 raising banners to summon souls
Explanation
比喻宣扬或企图恢复已经死亡的旧事物。
A metaphor for propagating or attempting to revive something that is already dead.
Origin Story
话说东汉末年，群雄逐鹿，天下大乱。一位自诩为忠义之士的黄巾军余孽，名叫张角，他深怀着对昔日辉煌的幻想，四处招摇撞骗，妄图恢复黄巾起义的旧梦。他四处张贴布告，宣称要重振黄巾军，推翻朝廷，还天下一个太平盛世。他模仿黄巾军当年的作法，身着黄巾装束，佩戴黄巾军标志，甚至还效仿当年张角的举动，在各地扬幡招魂，企图招来死去黄巾军的魂灵，为其壮大实力。然而，时过境迁，人们早已不买他的账。张角的举动反而引起了官府的注意，他很快就被官兵逮捕，梦想就此破灭。这个故事就如同“扬幡招魂”，空有其表，徒劳无功。
In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, when the land was in chaos, a remnant of the Yellow Turban rebels, named Zhang Jiao, wandered the land, clinging to the fantasy of a glorious past. He made many claims, seeking to restore the Yellow Turban dream of a peaceful society. He even went as far as imitating Yellow Turban rituals, putting on the uniform, and even performing the old practices, attempting to revive the spirits of the fallen Yellow Turban Army. But times changed, and his actions were foolish and only alerted the authorities; soon he was caught and his dreams faded. His story is like the idiom "yang fan zhao hun" – empty of meaning, and a futile effort.
Usage
多用于贬义，形容试图恢复已经过时或行不通的事物。
Mostly used in a derogatory sense, to describe attempting to restore something outdated or unworkable.
Examples
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他试图复辟旧制度，简直是扬幡招魂！
ta shi tu fu pi jiuzhidu, jianzhi shi yangfanzhaohun!
His attempt to restore the old system is simply a futile effort.
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这种做法无异于扬幡招魂，徒劳无功。
zhe zhong zuofa wu yi yu yangfanzhaohun, tulaowugong
This approach is tantamount to a futile attempt, achieving nothing at all.