The first line of the quatrain attributed to
张英, a Grand Secretary under the Kangxi Emperor:
千里修书只为墙,
让他三尺又何妨。
万里长城今犹在,
不见当年秦始皇。 His family in Tongcheng, Anhui, had written to him in the capital about a wall dispute with their neighbours. They gave way three feet, the neighbours did the same, and the gap became
六尺巷 'Six-Foot Lane'.