📖 Meaning
Like numerous stars circling the North Star, it describes many things or people gathered around a single center. It is a metaphor for multitudes rallying behind or supporting one person or entity. The idiom conveys unity and reverence toward a focal figure.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in the Book of Wei (魏书), specifically in the biography of Juqu Mengxun, a leader of the Lushui Hu people. The passage criticizes local rulers who each carved out their own territory and adopted private titles, ignoring the principle that all stars revolve around a single pole. A later usage appears in Liu Chongyuan's 'Record of Yanshi Mountain' from the Southern Tang dynasty, where tributaries from across the realm are compared to stars paying homage to the pole.
💡 Example Usage
群臣众星拱极般拥戴太子即位。
The ministers rallied around the crown prince like stars orbiting the pole as he ascended the throne.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 众星拱极
- Pinyin: zhòng xīng gǒng jí
- Literal Translation: many, stars, surround, pole
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4