堑山堙谷 qiàn shān yīn gǔ cut mountains and fill valleys

Explanation

指挖山填谷，比喻克服巨大的困难，进行大规模的建设。

Refers to digging mountains and filling valleys, a metaphor for overcoming great difficulties and carrying out large-scale construction.

Origin Story

话说秦始皇统一六国后，为了巩固统治，决定修建一条贯穿全国的驰道，这条路要穿越崇山峻岭，跨越江河湖泊。工程浩大，困难重重。面对陡峭的山峰和深不可测的峡谷，工匠们束手无策。这时，一位名叫李冰的工匠站了出来，他提出了一个大胆的想法：堑山堙谷！他带领工匠们，用最原始的工具，开始了艰苦卓绝的开山填谷工作。他们日夜不停地劳作，用铁锤敲碎坚硬的岩石，用肩扛手抬运走碎石，填平深谷。经过多年的努力，这条驰道终于竣工了，它蜿蜒于崇山峻岭之间，成为当时世界上最宏伟的道路之一，也成为了中国古代人民勤劳智慧的象征。

huà shuō qín shǐ huáng tǒngyī liù guó hòu, wèile gùgù tǒngzhì, juédìng xiūjiàn yī tiáo guàn chuān quán guó de chídào, zhè tiáo lù yào chuānyuè chóngshān jùnlǐng, kuàyuè jiāng hé hú pó. gōngchéng hàodà, kùnnan chóngchóng. miàn duì dǔ qiào de shānfēng hé shēn bù kě cè de xiágǔ, gōngjiàng men shùshǒu wúcè. zhè shí, yī wèi míng jiào lǐ bīng de gōngjiàng zhàn le chūlái, tā tí chū le yīgè dàdǎn de xiǎngfǎ: qiànshān yīngǔ! tā dàilǐng gōngjiàng men, yòng zuì yuánshǐ de gōngjù, kāishǐ le jiānkǔ zhuójué de kāishān tiányǔ gōngzuò. tāmen rìyè bùtíng de láozuò, yòng tiě chuí qiāosùi jiānyìng de yánshí, yòng jiānkāng shǒutái yùnzǒu suìshí, tiányǐng shēngǔ. jīngguò duō nián de nǔlì, zhè tiáo chídào zhōngyú jùnggōng le, tā wānyán yú chóngshān jùnlǐng zhī jiān, chéngwéi dàngshí shìjiè shàng zuì hóngwěi de dàolù zhī yī, yě chéngwéi le zhōngguó gǔdài rénmín qínláo zhìhuì de xiàngzhēng.

After the unification of the six kingdoms by Qin Shi Huang, in order to consolidate his rule, he decided to build a road running through the whole country, this road will cross mountains, rivers and lakes. The project is huge, difficulties are numerous. Facing steep peaks and unfathomable valleys, the craftsmen were at a loss. At this time, a craftsman named Li Bing stood out, he put forward a bold idea: to cut mountains and fill valleys! He led the craftsmen, with the most primitive tools, began the arduous work of opening mountains and filling valleys. They worked day and night non-stop, using hammers to break the hard rocks, using their shoulders and hands to carry away the debris to fill deep valleys. After many years of hard work, this road was finally completed, it meanders through the mountains, becoming one of the most magnificent roads in the world at that time, and also became a symbol of the hard work and wisdom of the ancient Chinese people.

Usage

多用于描写大规模建设场景，形容克服困难，改造自然。

duō yòng yú miáoxiě dà guīmó jiàn shè chǎngjǐng, xíngróng kèfú kùnnan, gǎizào zìrán

Often used to describe large-scale construction scenarios, depicting the overcoming of difficulties and the transformation of nature.

Examples

• 为了修建这条高速公路，他们不得不堑山堙谷，克服了重重困难。

  wèile xiūjiàn zhè tiáo gāosù gōnglù, tāmen bùdé bù qiànshān yīngǔ, kèfú le chóngchóng kùnnan

  In order to build this highway, they had to cut mountains and fill valleys, overcoming many difficulties.

• 国家为了发展经济，不惜代价堑山堙谷，修建了大型水利工程。

  guójiā wèile fāzhǎn jīngjì, bù xī dàijià qiànshān yīngǔ, xiūjiàn le dàxíng shuǐlì gōngchéng

  In order to develop the economy, the country spared no expense in cutting mountains and filling valleys to build large-scale water conservancy projects

Related Idioms

• 移山倒海

• 兴修水利

Opposite Idioms

• 顺其自然

• 因循守旧