Chinese idiom · 成语
安步当车
Meaning
To walk leisurely as if riding a cart; to enjoy a relaxed pace.
Character by character
Origin and story
Traditional anecdoteIn Zhanguo Ce, Qi ce IV, the independent scholar Yan Chu argues with King Xuan of Qi about the dignity of scholars. The king eventually offers him rich food, carriage travel, and fine clothing for his family. Yan Chu declines and asks to return home. He says that eating when hungry can substitute for meat, and an unhurried walk can substitute for a carriage; a quiet, upright life is enough for him.
The point is independence from courtly luxury, not a claim that walking is faster than riding. The shortened idiom now commonly describes choosing to walk at an easy pace, retaining something of the original satisfaction with simplicity.
In everyday life
晚饭后我们安步当车，沿着河边走回酒店。
After dinner, we walked leisurely along the river back to the hotel instead of taking a car.
A literary way to describe leisurely walking in place of riding.