民为邦本 — “The people are the bedrock of any prosperous community”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 民为邦本?

邦：国家。人民是立国之本

民为邦本 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “the people are the bedrock of any prosperous community”. Literally, “The people are the foundation of the community”.

Frequency

民为邦本 Pronunciation and Pinyin

民为邦本 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
民	mín	5	the common people
为	wèi	4	to be or to do
邦	bāng	7	nation, state, country
本	běn	5	root, origin, fundamental, main

Example Sentence with 民为邦本

任何一个长久兴盛的集体，都深刻理解民为邦本的道理，努力满足成员的需求。

Any long-lasting and prosperous collective deeply understands that the people are the foundation of the community, striving to meet the needs of its members.

Origin and Story of 民为邦本

During an ancient era, Yu's grandson, Taikang, ascended to leadership. He was dissolute and extravagant, causing much sorrow among the common folk.

When he went hunting south of the Luo River, the leader of a smaller territory, Yi, seized the opportunity to usurp control of Taikang's domain.

Taikang's younger brother composed "The Song of Five Brothers," which contained these lines: "Our revered ancestor taught: the people can be approached, but not subjugated. The common folk are the very root of the community; when the root is firm, the community thrives in peace."

Later, Zhongkang, another brother, rallied forces and successfully restored their collective stability.