Du Yu, courtesy name Yuankai, was a renowned general and scholar of the Western Jin Dynasty, authoring the *Collected Commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals* and earning widespread acclaim.
Later, for his meritorious service in conquering Wu, Emperor Wu of Jin appointed him General of the Southern Pacification, and people called him "Du's Arsenal," praising his mastery of both civil and military arts.
Shortly after being appointed Grand General of the Southern Pacification and military governor of Jingzhou, he urged Emperor Wu of Jin to launch a final campaign to destroy the Kingdom of Wu. The emperor hesitated and summoned his ministers for discussion, where many voiced opposition, arguing that Wu was a formidable foe, the summer heat was intense, rivers were flooding, and disease could easily spread—conditions highly unfavorable for northern soldiers unaccustomed to swamp warfare. They recommended waiting until the following spring for a better chance of victory.
Du Yu, however, held his ground. He argued, "During the Warring States period, the Yan general Yue Yi captured over 70 cities from Qi in a single battle at Luoxi. That wasn't just good strategy—it was sheer morale. Now that we've conquered Shu, our troops' spirit is at its peak. Attacking Wu now is like splitting bamboo: once you crack a few joints, the rest splits apart effortlessly, meeting no resistance."
Emperor Wu of Jin agreed with Du Yu's strategy, so Du Yu immediately launched his campaign. In less than ten days, he captured numerous cities of the Wu Kingdom, taking prisoner Wu's military commander Sun Xin and over 200 high-ranking civil and military officials. Pressing forward, Du Yu led his army toward the Wu capital Jianye (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu), breaking through enemy resistance like splitting bamboo—each victory paving the way for the next. Soon, he conquered Jianye and destroyed the Wu Kingdom.
In this story, another idiom appears: "split as it meets the blade." The blade is a knife; originally meaning that when bamboo meets the blade, it splits open, metaphorically indicating that once the main problem is solved, secondary issues are easily resolved.
Later, the idiom "like splitting bamboo" came to describe successive victories with no obstacles.
Source: *Book of Jin*, "Biography of Du Yu"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "势如破竹" came to describe how successive victories with no obstacles.