📖 Meaning
This idiom refers to a large, bustling metropolis that is well-connected and accessible from all directions. It describes a major commercial and cultural hub with extensive trade and transportation networks. It is a variant form of the more common idiom '通都大邑' (tōng dū dà yì).
📜 Origin Story
The phrase is a rearrangement of the classical expression '通都大邑,' which appears in Chinese historical and literary texts describing major cities linked by roads and waterways. The terms '通邑' (accessible city) and '大都' (great metropolis) both connote urban centers of commerce and administration. Such cities served as economic and political hubs throughout China's dynastic history. The expression reflects the traditional Chinese emphasis on connectivity and urban prosperity.
💡 Example Usage
这座城市自古便是通邑大都，商贾云集，繁华无比。
This city has been a great metropolis since ancient times, bustling with merchants and extraordinary prosperity.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 通邑大都
- Pinyin: tōng yì dà dōu
- Literal Translation: connected, city, great, metropolis
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4