弹丸之地

Origin and story

In Zhanguo Ce, Zhao ce III, Zhao debates whether to cede six cities to Qin after its defeat at Changping. Lou Huan argues for accommodation and calls the requested territory a pellet-sized piece of land, warning that refusing might lead to the loss of more important territory later. Yu Qing opposes concessions because they cannot guarantee Qin will stop attacking.

The phrase is thus persuasive understatement in a political debate, not a measured description of the cities' actual size. A 弹丸 is a small projectile or pellet. Later usage can describe any very small area, often with a rhetorical contrast to its population, value, or importance.