异军突起 — “A new force, group, or trend suddenly emerges and gains prominence”

异军突起 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a new force, group, or trend suddenly emerges and gains prominence”. To rise abruptly as a dark horse. Literally, “A different army suddenly rises”.

Frequency

异军突起 Pronunciation and Pinyin

异军突起 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
异	yì	6	different, unusual, strange
军	jūn	6	military, army, corps
突	tū	9	sudden break through
起	qǐ	10	to rise, start, or begin

Example Sentence with 异军突起

近年来，随着科技的飞速发展，人工智能在各行各业中异军突起，展现出巨大的潜力。

In recent years, with the rapid development of technology, artificial intelligence has suddenly emerged in various industries, demonstrating immense potential.

Origin and Story of 异军突起

The idiom 'Yì Jūn Tū Qǐ' (异军突起) originates from Sima Qian's 'Records of the Grand Historian - Annals of Xiang Yu'. Towards the end of the Qin Dynasty, Emperor Qin Er Shi ruled with cruelty and corruption, leading to widespread public discontent. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were the first to spark a rebellion, and various regions across the country quickly followed their lead.

In Dongyang County, there was a prison official named Chen Ying, who was highly respected and influential among the local populace. When the young people of Dongyang witnessed the nationwide wave of uprisings, they killed the Dongyang county magistrate, gathered several thousand people, and declared their own rebellion. They unanimously requested Chen Ying to be their leader. Upon learning that Chen Ying had taken command of the rebel army, more local residents flocked to join. In a short period, the Dongyang rebel force grew to over 20,000 strong.

The young people of Dongyang then wished to enthrone Chen Ying as their king and establish a distinct identity for their army; all soldiers were to wear blue headscarves to signify their unique and newly emerged force. However, Chen Ying's mother advised him, saying, 'Since I married into the Chen family, I have never heard of any great nobles among your ancestors. Now, your fame has suddenly grown so immense, which might not be a good omen. It would be better for you to lead your troops to pledge allegiance to an established leader. If the uprising succeeds, you might still be granted a title. If it fails, no one will hold you solely accountable.'

Following his mother's counsel, Chen Ying dared not claim the title of king. He told his subordinates, 'Xiang Liang is the son of General Xiang Yan of Chu and is a very renowned figure. The one who will lead an army to overthrow the Qin Dynasty in the future will surely be from the Xiang clan. I have decided to lead our forces to join him.' Just at that time, Xiang Liang was leading his troops across the river, and Chen Ying subsequently submitted to him. This story illustrates the sudden emergence and rise of a new and distinct force.