Jianghu is a vocabulary created by Taoist philosophy in ancient Spring and Autumn Period, which has multiple extended meanings in China culture. The original meaning of rivers and lakes refers to the vast rivers and lakes, and later it derived the meaning of "the world", which has nothing to do with rivers and lakes. This word was first seen in the Great Master Zhuangzi: "It is better to forget the rivers and lakes than to care about each other."

Refers to people who are far away from the court and the ruling class; In many China literary works, especially martial arts novels, Jianghu refers to the activities of ancient chivalrous men and rebellious heroes; Even in some cases, it is synonymous with the underworld.

Later, it refers to the social environment in which ancient people did not accept the control, command and legal constraints of power. So the word Jianghu has gradually evolved into a more multifaceted or specific noun.

Extended data:

Extended meaning of rivers and lakes

The word "Jianghu" can refer to three rivers and five lakes in geography alone, and the word "Jianghu" has become a pair of words.

There are other meanings in China culture, such as Master Zhuangzi: "Spring drought, fish on land, it is better to forget each other than rivers and lakes." The Jianghu in the movie refers to a broad and carefree fit.

Fan Zhongyan's "Yueyang Tower" in the Northern Song Dynasty: "If you live in a temple, you must worry about its people; If you are far away in the rivers and lakes, you will worry about your husband. " Jianghu is used to refer to the people, contrary to the meaning of the imperial court. It is precisely because the master hermit is unwilling to be commanded and controlled by the court, despises his official career, and is arrogant and extravagant, so the rivers and lakes are also cited as a society where heroes and chivalrous men are rampant.

Because the life of swords and shadows in martial arts novels is not a normal life order, only the underworld ecology with violent conflicts as the normal state can approach the so-called rivers and lakes in today's society. Therefore, the word Jianghu has evolved into a negative or specific noun, such as "mixed Jianghu", which means mixed underworld; "Jianghu" is a metaphor for well-informed negative figures; "Jianghu is sinister" refers to a place where right and wrong are troubled.

And the well-known phrase "people are in the Jianghu, but they can't help themselves" (this expression is a dragon) means that people often do things they don't want to do because of the pressure of people around them in a specific environment.

Baidu encyclopedia-Jianghu