📖 Meaning
Describes an unbroken stream of people arriving one after another, their footprints nearly overlapping. It conveys the image of a bustling crowd or a continuous succession of notable figures, emphasizing both numerousness and ceaseless flow.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom first appears in the Southern Song dynasty scholar Chen Liang's postscript to Jiao Boqiang's calligraphy. Chen Liang remarked that when great figures came in '踵武相接' — an unbroken succession — even those of modest talent could rise by association, let alone someone as outstanding as Jiao Boqiang. The phrase originally described the continuous line of eminent scholars and officials, but later broadened to describe any large, ceaseless crowd.
💡 Example Usage
庙会上游人踵武相接，热闹非凡。
At the temple fair, visitors streamed in an unbroken succession, creating a scene of extraordinary bustle.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 踵武相接
- Pinyin: zhǒng wǔ xiāng jiē
- Literal Translation: heel, footprint, mutually, connect
- Category: Variety
- Characters: 4