明修栈道，暗度陈仓 — “Openly repairing the plank roads, secretly crossing Chencang”
明修栈道，暗度陈仓 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a feint in one direction while secretly preparing to advance in another; to mislead an opponent by an open maneuver while secretly taking a different course of action”. Literally, “Openly repairing the plank roads, secretly crossing Chencang”.
明修栈道，暗度陈仓 Pronunciation and Pinyin
明修栈道，暗度陈仓 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 明修栈道，暗度陈仓
Origin and Story of 明修栈道，暗度陈仓
During the early Han Dynasty, after the fall of the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang was granted the kingdom of Hanzhong by Xiang Yu. As Liu Bang prepared to enter Hanzhong, his strategist Zhang Liang advised him to burn the plank roads (栈道) that connected Hanzhong to Guanzhong. This was a deliberate act to deceive Xiang Yu, making him believe that Liu Bang had no intention of returning to Guanzhong and was settling peacefully in Hanzhong, thus lowering Xiang Yu's guard.
Months later, when Liu Bang decided to reclaim Guanzhong, his general Han Xin employed a cunning strategy. He ordered some troops to openly begin repairing the burnt plank roads (明修栈道), creating a visible distraction.
This feigned effort fooled the enemy general Zhang Han (King of Yong), who underestimated Han Xin and focused his attention on the slow repair work. Meanwhile, Han Xin secretly led his main army along a different, hidden route, launching a surprise attack on Chencang (暗度陈仓), a strategic location in Guanzhong. Zhang Han was caught completely off guard, his forces were defeated, and Liu Bang's army successfully captured Guanzhong, laying a crucial foundation for his eventual victory over Xiang Yu.
Idioms Related to 明修栈道，暗度陈仓
Synonyms of 明修栈道，暗度陈仓
Antonyms of 明修栈道，暗度陈仓
More idioms starting with 明
- míng明yú于zhì治luàn乱understand principles of order and disorder
- míng明rén人bù不zuò作àn暗shì事An upright person acts openly
- míng明rén人bù不zuò做àn暗shì事An honest person acts openly
- míng明rén人bù不shuō说àn暗huà话A frank person speaks directly
- míng明xiū修àn暗dù度openly feign, secretly act
- míng明xiū修zhàn栈dào道，，àn暗dù渡chén陈cāng仓feign one thing, do another
- míng明guāng光shuò烁liàng亮Dazzlingly bright and sparkling
- míng明guāng光zhēng铮liàng亮Dazzlingly bright and gleaming
- míng明guāng光zèng锃liàng亮dazzlingly bright and polished
- míng明gōng公zhèng正yì义Open, fair, and just
- míng明gōng公zhèng正qì气openly just and righteous
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Open the tool →Questions about 明修栈道，暗度陈仓
What does 明修栈道，暗度陈仓 mean?
明修栈道，暗度陈仓 (míng xiū zhàn dào ， àn dù chén cāng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a feint in one direction while secretly preparing to advance in another; to mislead an opponent by an open maneuver while secretly taking a different course of action”.
How do you pronounce 明修栈道，暗度陈仓?
明修栈道，暗度陈仓 is pronounced míng xiū zhàn dào ， àn dù chén cāng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 明修栈道，暗度陈仓 literally mean?
Literally, 明修栈道，暗度陈仓 means “Openly repairing the plank roads, secretly crossing Chencang”. It is used to mean “to make a feint in one direction while secretly preparing to advance in another; to mislead an opponent by an open maneuver while secretly taking a different course of action”.
Where does 明修栈道，暗度陈仓 come from?
明修栈道，暗度陈仓 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 明修栈道，暗度陈仓?
指刘邦将从汉中出兵攻项羽时，故意明修栈道，迷惑对方，暗中绕道奔袭陈仓，取得胜利。陈仓，古县名，在今陕西省宝鸡市东。