Learn Chinese – 敲竹杠- Rapping Bamboo Poles
敲 qiao 竹 zhu 杠 gang – Rapping Bamboo Poles
A man in old China was almost caught trying to smuggle opium in his bamboo poles when a simple bumpkin took his pipe and rapped it on the poles just as a customs official walked by.
The smuggle paid off the bumpkin who was totally unaware of why he was being asked to not bang his pipe on his poles.
The expression came to symbolize extortion or fleecing money from someone who is in a precarious position and needs to pay money to cover themselves.
There are lots and lots of corrupt officials in China, especially officials with mistresses who are having their 'bamboo poles rapped' by their, um, ladies.
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