Meaning:
Literally meaning “to go ashore,” this term is used as a metaphor by Chinese netizens to refer to the scenario where a person has finally achieved a goal after lengthy and strenuous effort. Most often, the term is used when a person has passed the exams and interviews to get enrolled at a prestigious university or get hired as a civil servant, or has paid off all their debts.
Example:
A: 你的孩子上大学了吧？
Nǐ de háizi shàng dàxué le ba？
Did your kid go to college already?
B: 是的，今年秋天刚刚入学，在哈佛学法律。
Shì de，jīnnián qiūtiān gānggāng rùxué，zài hāfó xué fǎlǜ。
Yeah, he became a law student at Harvard University just this fall semester.
A: 经过这么多年的努力终于上岸了。
Jīngguò zhèmeduō nián de nǔlì zhōngyú shàng’àn le。
He finally achieved the goal of getting enrolled by a top university after years of effort.