📖 Meaning
Literally meaning cart tracks are uniform and customs are identical. It is a metaphor for a unified nation where laws, standards, and social customs are consistent throughout. The phrase describes political and cultural unification under a single rule.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from the 'Biography of Fu Jian' in the Book of Jin (晋书·苻坚载记上). Fu Jian was a ruler of the Former Qin dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. The original text reads '一轨九州，同风天下,' expressing the aspiration to unify the Nine Provinces under one standard and bring uniform customs to the whole world. It reflects the ancient Chinese ideal of political and cultural unification of the realm.
💡 Example Usage
秦始皇统一六国后，天下一轨同风，文字度量衡皆归于一。
After Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, the whole realm shared uniform tracks and customs, with writing, weights, and measures all standardized.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一轨同风
- Pinyin: yī guǐ tóng fēng
- Literal Translation: one, track, same, wind
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4