摘瓜抱蔓 — “To make a clean sweep”

摘瓜抱蔓 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a clean sweep”. To take everything; to clear out completely, leaving nothing behind. Literally, “To pick the melons and embrace the vine”.

Frequency

摘瓜抱蔓 Pronunciation and Pinyin

摘瓜抱蔓 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
摘	zhāi	14	pick, pluck, remove, select
瓜	guā	5	Melon or gourd
抱	bào	8	to embrace or hold
蔓	màn	14	creeping plant tendril

Example Sentence with 摘瓜抱蔓

商店打折时，大家热情高涨，没多久商品就被抢购一空，真是摘瓜抱蔓

During the store's sale, everyone was so enthusiastic that the goods were snatched up in no time, truly a case of 'picking the melons and taking the vine', leaving nothing behind.

Origin and Story of 摘瓜抱蔓

During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, Empress Wu Zetian gradually assumed control of state affairs. Her ambition was considerable, and her methods were often quite severe.

She replaced Crown Prince Li Zhong with Li Hong. Later, Li Hong was poisoned, and Li Xian was made the new Crown Prince.

Living in constant anxiety, Li Xian composed the poem known as the 'Song of the Yellow Terrace Melon' (黄台瓜辞).

The poem read: 'Melons grown beneath the yellow terrace, many ripe fruits hanging. One pick makes the melon good, another pick makes them sparse. A third pick might still be acceptable, but picking them all leads to embracing the vine and departing.'

This poem metaphorically conveyed his fear of being entirely eliminated, much like picking all the melons until even the vine is taken, symbolizing a complete and ruthless removal.