







避军三舍 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to keep at a respectful distance”. To give way or yield to avoid conflict or confrontation. Literally, “To avoid the army by three *she* (an ancient unit of distance, about 30 *li*)”.
During the Spring and Autumn period, there was internal strife in the state of Jin. Chong'er, son of Duke Xian of Jin, fled to the state of Chu. King Cheng of Chu sheltered and treated him kindly. Chong'er, grateful for the hospitality, promised that if Jin and Chu ever went to war, the Jin army would retreat three *she* (ninety *li*) as a gesture of respect.
Later, with the help of Duke Mu of Qin, Chong'er returned to Jin and eventually became its ruler, Duke Wen of Jin.
Jin's support for the state of Song led to conflicts with Chu. When the two armies met at Chengpu, Duke Wen of Jin remembered his promise.
He ordered his army to retreat three *she*, luring the enemy deeper into a more vulnerable position. This strategic maneuver led to a decisive victory for Jin.

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Open the tool →避军三舍 (bì jūn sān shě) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to keep at a respectful distance”.
避军三舍 is pronounced bì jūn sān shě in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 避军三舍 means “to avoid the army by three *she* (an ancient unit of distance, about 30 *li*)”. It is used to mean “to keep at a respectful distance”.
避军三舍 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
指退让和回避。一舍:三十里。