Cutting through the wood(zhǎn mù jiē gān)

Cutting through the wood

The Chinese idiom "chop wood and uncover pole" means to cut down trees as weapons and raise a bamboo pole as a military flag. It refers to armed uprising. It comes from Guo Qin Lun.

Analysis of Idioms

Cutting wood into soldiers and uncovering poles into banners

Idiom usage

It refers to rebellion

Examples

I heard that Tian Hu's cutting wood and uncovering poles had already started a prairie fire. It was hard to exterminate him without a strong general. The ninety first chapter of Water Margin by Shi Naian in Ming Dynasty

The origin of Idioms

Jia Yi of Han Dynasty wrote on crossing the Qin Dynasty: "cutting wood into soldiers, uncovering poles as banners, the whole world will respond in unison, win grain and follow the scenery, Shandong heroes will rise together and die the Qin people."

Chinese PinYin : zhǎn mù jiē gān