击壤而歌 — “Describes a peaceful and prosperous era where people are content”

击壤而歌 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “describes a peaceful and prosperous era where people are content”. Well-fed, and lead simple, happy lives, often free from worries about governance. Literally, “Striking the clod and singing”.

Frequency

击壤而歌 Pronunciation and Pinyin

击壤而歌 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
击	jī	5	strike, hit, or beat
壤	rǎng	20	soft loose soil
而	ér	6	and, but, then
歌	gē	14	sing or song

Example Sentence with 击壤而歌

在那个远离喧嚣的村庄里，人们过着击壤而歌的悠然生活，自给自足，乐在其中。

In that tranquil village far from the hustle and bustle, people lived a carefree life of striking the clod and singing, self-sufficient and utterly content.

Origin and Story of 击壤而歌

In ancient times, after Emperor Yao had ruled for 50 years, he remained humble and never complacent. He often dressed as a commoner and personally visited the people to understand the effectiveness of his governance.

One day, at Kangqu, he saw an old man, full from his meal, playing a game of striking the ground with clods while singing.

The old man sang, 'We rise with the sun and rest at sunset; we dig wells for water and cultivate the fields for food.' This scene symbolized a peaceful and prosperous era where people lived content, self-sufficient lives, unaware of or untroubled by their ruler, indicating excellent governance.