Hầm Nhu

Definition

1. Proper Noun (Historical Event):
   • The Burial of the Scholars: A historical event in 212 BCE during the Qin Dynasty of ancient China, where Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the live burial (or execution) of approximately 460 Confucian scholars and the burning of their books.
   • A Symbol of Tyranny and Suppression: The term is used metaphorically to describe an act of extreme cultural and intellectual oppression, specifically the persecution of scholars and the destruction of knowledge.

Usage Examples

• Proper Noun:
  • "Hầm Nhu" là một sự kiện bi thảm trong lịch sử Trung Quốc. ("Hầm Nhu" is a tragic event in Chinese history.)
  • Hành động đó được so sánh với "Hầm Nhu" thời Tần. (That action is compared to the "Burial of the Scholars" during the Qin era.)

Advanced Usage

• Used as a historical reference point in discussions about censorship, authoritarianism, and the destruction of intellectual thought.
  • Chính sách kiểm duyệt khắc nghiệt ấy chẳng khác gì một "Hầm Nhu" hiện đại. (That harsh censorship policy is no different from a modern-day "Burial of the Scholars.")

Variants and Related Words

• Phần thư khanh nho (Phrase): This is the full, classic phrase referring to the twin policies of "burning the books" () and "burying the scholars" ( or ).
  • Tần Thủy Hoàng nổi tiếng với việc "phần thư khanh nho". (Qin Shi Huang is infamous for "burning the books and burying the scholars.")

Synonyms

• Persecution of intellectuals: The systematic mistreatment of scholars and thinkers.
• Cultural extermination: The deliberate destruction of a culture's knowledge and its bearers.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• "Phần thư": Literally "to burn books." Often paired with "Hầm Nhu" to describe the complete suppression of knowledge.
  • Họ không đốt sách, nhưng về bản chất đó vẫn là một kiểu "phần thư". (They didn't burn books, but in essence, it was still a form of "book-burning.")