📖 Meaning
Half of the country's territory. It refers to the portion of national land that remains after enemy invasion, or territory that has been lost. Often used to describe a diminished or fragmented nation.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from the Qing dynasty playwright Jiang Shiquan's work 'Dongqing Shu - Tigang' (冬青树·提纲), where he wrote 'Half the territory is even smaller than the courts of the Five Dynasties period.' The term combines 'half a wall' (半壁) meaning half or one side, with 'rivers and mountains' (江山), a classical metaphor for national territory. It evokes the image of a nation reduced to only half its domain, often through war or invasion, recalling periods like the Southern Song dynasty which controlled only southern China after losing the north.
💡 Example Usage
南宋朝廷偏安一隅，仅剩半壁江山。
The Southern Song court sought peace in a corner, left with only half its territory.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 半壁江山
- Pinyin: bàn bì jiāng shān
- Literal Translation: half, wall, rivers and mountains
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4