📖 Meaning
A deep emotional longing for one's homeland or native place. It describes the natural attachment people feel toward the land where they were born and raised. The idiom captures the bittersweet sentiment of homesickness and nostalgia.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from 'Wang Ming Lun' (On the Mandate of Kings) by Ban Biao of the Han dynasty. In the text, Ban Biao discusses how Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty, overcame his attachment to his homeland by heeding the counsel of soldiers and scholars. The passage references how one must sever the feeling of longing for one's native soil to pursue a greater destiny. It also alludes to the Four Hoary Heads (四皓), revered recluses whose wisdom helped guide imperial succession.
💡 Example Usage
旅居海外多年，他心中始终怀着怀土之情，盼着有朝一日能回到故乡。
After living abroad for many years, he always harbored a deep longing for his homeland, hoping to one day return to his native place.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 怀土之情
- Pinyin: huái tǔ zhī qíng
- Literal Translation: cherish, land, of, feeling
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4