浩浩荡荡

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: hào hào dàng dàng
• English Translation: Vast and mighty (procession/flow)
• Idiom Composition: 「浩浩」（Vast, expansive, or grand (specifically referring to water)）＋「荡荡」（Broad, vast, or surging）
• Meaning: Originally used to describe the vastness and power of flowing water, this idiom is now primarily used to describe a large group of people, vehicles, or a movement moving forward in a grand, majestic, and powerful manner.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「浩浩荡荡」 contains the following nuances:

• Overwhelming Scale: This idiom is never used for small groups. It requires a sense of volume that fills the field of vision or forms a long, continuous line.
• Dynamic Momentum: It is generally used for things in motion—marching, flowing, or advancing—rather than static objects.

3. Usage

「浩浩荡荡」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Movement of Large Groups: The most common usage, describing parades, armies, or large groups of people moving together in an organized and imposing fashion.
  • Example:「游行队伍浩浩荡荡地穿过市中心，吸引了众多市民围观。」
    （The parade marched majestically through the city center, drawing a large crowd of onlookers.）
• Grandeur of Nature: Refers to the original meaning: the powerful, surging flow of a great river or the force of a vast wind.
  • Example:「长江之水浩浩荡荡，奔流到海不复回。」
    （The waters of the Yangtze River (长江) flow vast and mighty, rushing to the sea and never returning.）
• Metaphorical Trends: Used to describe social movements or historical trends that are so powerful they cannot be stopped.
  • Example:「时代的潮流浩浩荡荡，顺之者昌，逆之者亡。」
    （The trend of the times is vast and unstoppable; those who follow it prosper, while those who resist it perish.）

Additional Examples:

1. 为了植树造林，数千名志愿者浩浩荡荡地开进了荒山。
   （To plant trees and reforest the area, thousands of volunteers entered the barren mountains in a massive, organized group.）
2. 每到假期，浩浩荡荡的游客大军就会涌向各个景点。
   （Every holiday, a vast and mighty army of tourists swarms toward various scenic spots.）
3. 迎亲的车队浩浩荡荡，足有二十辆豪车。
   （The wedding convoy was a grand sight, consisting of no fewer than twenty luxury cars.）
4. 搬家公司派来了五辆大卡车，浩浩荡荡地把家具运走了。
   （The moving company sent five large trucks, which set off in a formidable line to transport the furniture.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• The phrase is famously used by the Song Dynasty (宋朝) statesman and writer Fan Zhongyan (范仲淹) in his masterpiece Memorial to Yueyang Tower (岳阳楼记), where he describes the majestic view of Lake Dongting (洞庭湖) as 'vast and mighty, stretching to the horizon' (浩浩荡荡，横无际涯).
• The nuance is typically positive or neutral, used to admire strength, scale, and spectacle.
• The AABB structure is a common linguistic device in Chinese that intensifies the descriptive power of the characters and provides a rhythmic, balanced feel.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 声势浩大 (shēng shì hào dà): Great momentum or influence; usually focuses on the scale of an abstract 'force' or 'activity'.link
  • 波澜壮阔 (bō lán zhuàng kuò): Grand and magnificent like surging waves; often used to describe epic history or a life full of grand changes.
  • 如火如荼 (rú huǒ rú tú): Developing vigorously and enthusiastically.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 零零星星 (líng líng xīng xīng): Scattered and few; sparse.
  • 风平浪静 (fēng píng làng jìng): Calm wind and quiet waves; a state of peace and tranquility without disturbance.
  • 无声无息 (wú shēng wú xī): Without a sound or a trace.link
  • 寥寥无几 (liáo liáo wú jǐ): Very few in number.link

6. Summary

浩浩荡荡 (hào hào dàng dàng) is an AABB-style idiom that emphasizes immense scale and momentum. While its origins lie in describing the endless flow of great rivers, it is now the standard phrase for describing massive parades, large tour groups, or unstoppable historical trends that move with impressive force.