"Shoulder to shoulder and heel to heel" is a vivid and expressive Chinese idiom. Literally, it means shoulders pressed against shoulders and toes touching heels. In this idiom, "bi" means to be close to or pressed against, and "zhong" refers to the heel. This idiom is often used to describe an extremely large crowd in an exceptionally crowded scene, where people leave almost no space between one another. It comes from The Annals of Yanzi, Miscellaneous Part Two. The original text reads: "In Linzi, with three hundred neighborhoods, when people spread their sleeves, they form shade; when they wipe off sweat, it falls like rain; shoulder to shoulder and heel to heel they are, how can you say there is no one?" This was spoken by Yanzi when he was on a mission to the State of Chu. Facing the King of Chu's attempts to humiliate him, he used exaggerated language to depict the prosperous population and bustling scene of Linzi, the capital of Qi. In terms of usage, this idiom is mostly used to describe crowded places such as markets, stations, tourist attractions, and large events. It carries a neutral to mildly positive emotional tone, emphasizing not only crowding but also implying prosperity and liveliness. It is similar in meaning to "mo jian jie zhong," but "bi jian jie zhong" places more emphasis on the close connection of shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot, with a very strong visual image.
📝 Example
1. On the pedestrian street during the National Day holiday, tourists were packed shoulder to shoulder and heel to heel, creating a lively and bustling scene. (Describing an extremely crowded situation where people are so tightly packed that their shoulders touch and their heels bump together.)
2. On the square of the railway station during the Spring Festival travel rush, homebound passengers were packed shoulder to shoulder and heel to heel, all eager to return home. (Describing a dense and crowded stream of travelers pressing forward closely against one another.)