📖 Meaning
To accept and incorporate things of various kinds without discrimination, absorbing diverse elements and keeping them all. It describes an inclusive approach that collects different content, opinions, or resources and preserves them for future use.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Tang dynasty scholar Han Yu's essay 'Jin Xue Jie' (进学解, Discourse on Advancing in Learning). In the essay, Han Yu compares a skilled physician who gathers all manner of medicinal substances—from precious jade and cinnabar to humble cow dung and aged drum skins—and stores them together so nothing is wasted. The metaphor illustrates that wisdom lies in collecting and valuing diverse materials regardless of their apparent worth, each serving a purpose when the need arises.
💡 Example Usage
这家图书馆兼收并蓄，收藏了各个领域的珍贵文献。
This library takes an all-inclusive approach, collecting precious documents from every field.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 兼收并蓄
- Pinyin: jiān shōu bìng xù
- Literal Translation: simultaneously gather, together store
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4