大动干戈 to make a great fuss
Explanation
指大规模地进行战争；也比喻大张声势地行事。
Refers to a large-scale war; it is also used metaphorically to refer to a showy action.
Origin Story
话说春秋战国时期，两个小国为了争夺一块小小的土地，竟然动用了全部兵力，开始了旷日持久的战争。战争规模之大，用兵之多，令人叹为观止。这场战争最终以两败俱伤告终，那块小小的土地也变得满目疮痍。这场战争，就是历史上有名的“大动干戈”的典故来源。两个国家为了这块土地，可谓是“大动干戈”，耗费了大量的资源和人力物力，最终却落得个两败俱伤的下场。这则故事告诉我们，凡事要量力而行，不能盲目蛮干，否则只会适得其反。
In ancient China, during the Warring States period, two small countries fought a protracted war over a small piece of land. They used all their military forces, and the scale of the war was astonishing. The war ended with losses on both sides, and the small piece of land was devastated. This story is the origin of the idiom "Da Dong Gan Ge". Both countries had made great efforts, wasted a lot of resources and manpower, and in the end, both sides suffered losses. This story teaches us to act within our means and not to act blindly, otherwise it will only be counterproductive.
Usage
常用作谓语、定语、状语；形容大张声势地行动。
Often used as a predicate, attributive, or adverbial; describes a large-scale, ostentatious action.
Examples
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为了这次会议，他们大动干戈，准备了大量的材料。
wèile zhè cì huìyì, tāmen dà dòng gān gē, zhǔnbèi le dàliàng de cáiliào。
They went to great lengths to prepare for this meeting.
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他只是想表达一下不满，没必要大动干戈。
tā zhǐshì xiǎng biǎodá yīxià bù mǎn, méi bìyào dà dòng gān gē。
He just wanted to express his dissatisfaction, there was no need to make such a fuss about it.