Si Mian Chu Ge

Literal Meaning: the song of Chu can be heard on all sides

Metaphorical Meaning: be besieged on all sides

After the destruction of the Qin Dynasty (221 – 207 BC), Xiang Yu and Liu Bang began to fight for the reign of the country. At the beginning Xiang Yu overpowered Liu Bang. But then Liu Bang used the strategies of Zhang Liang, Chen Ping and Han Xin and gradually got close to the winning side.

After several rounds’ conflicts, Liu Bang finally besieged Xiang Yu and his army in the county of Gaixia (today’s Lingbi County in Anhui) and the two sides met their final confrontation.

At that time Xiang Yu’s army was quite limited in the number and their food had been run out. The army’s morale was at the lowest point. In the night, Xiang Yu heard that the folk song of his hometown – the place of Chu – in the camps of Liu Bang’s army. He thought sadly: “Has my hometown also been taken by Liu Bang?”

Upon thinking of that, Xiang Yu lost his morale and believed that he was doomed to fail. He got out of his tent and had the drink with most favored concubine Yu Ji. He sang a sad song for this woman. The he got atop of his horse and lead his only remaining 800 knights run out of their camp towards south, trying to break out of the encirclement of Liu Bang’s army. They fought as they ran and then the 800 knights were gradually run out, leaving Xiang Yu alone as he got close to the Wujiang River. Feeling ashamed to return to his hometown to see his town fellows, Xiang Yu killed himself at the bank of Wujiang River.

Then, people used the words “Si Mian Chu Ge” to describe the people trapped in a desperate place.