Chinese idiom · 成语
一衣带水
Meaning
A river as narrow as a sash; very close proximity.
Character by character
Origin and story
historical accountThe History of the Southern Dynasties records Emperor Wen of Sui discussing a campaign against Chen with Gao Jiong. Claiming a duty to rescue the people, the emperor asks why a strip of water as narrow as a belt should prevent him, then orders warships built. The water is the Yangtze: calling it a belt rhetorically minimizes a formidable barrier and stresses his determination. The passage expresses the conqueror's justification, not an impartial finding about the campaign. Later usage moved beyond warfare to emphasize the closeness of places separated by water and the possibility of continued exchange across it.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
两个小镇一衣带水，每逢周末，两岸居民都乘船赶集。
The two towns are separated only by a narrow stretch of water, and residents on both banks take boats to the market on weekends.
Describes proximity across water; the barrier may be figuratively minimized rather than literally tiny.