Chinese Idiom: 坐山观虎斗 (Zuo Shan Guan Hu Dou)
English Translation: Sitting on a mountain to watch the tigers fight
pīn yīn: zuò shān guān hǔ dòu
Idiom Meaning: This idiom refers to the act of taking a neutral or passive stance in a conflict between two parties, waiting for an opportunity to benefit from their struggle.
Historical Source: Records of the Grand Historian (《史记·张仪列传》).
Idiom Story:
During a prolonged conflict between the Han and Wei states, King Hui of Qin considered sending troops to assist one of the sides. To gather insights, he consulted his ministers. Chen Zhen shared a story about a man named Bian Zhuangzi who once witnessed two tigers fighting over their prey.
Bian Zhuangzi initially thought about attacking the tigers with his sword. However, a bystander advised him to wait, as the tigers were currently occupied with eating a cow and would soon turn on each other in a fight. The strategy was to let the larger tiger become injured while the smaller one was killed. Once the chaos ensued, Bian could then attack the wounded tiger, effectively gaining both tigers for himself.
After hearing this story, King Hui realized that he could apply the same strategy to the conflict between Han and Wei. He decided to allow the two states to weaken each other in battle before sending his forces in to conquer both.
Following Chen Zhen’s advice, King Hui awaited the right moment and ultimately emerged victorious by defeating both states simultaneously, just as Bian Zhuangzi had hoped to do with the tigers.
This idiom emphasizes the wisdom of patience and strategic observation, suggesting that sometimes it’s beneficial to let others fight it out before intervening to reap the rewards.
