Launching large-scale construction requires a lot of capital.
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history
Literally 'earth and wood' — the two oldest building materials. The set phrase 大兴土木 (dàxīng tǔmù, to launch large-scale construction) goes back to imperial-era projects when building meant moving dirt and felling timber.
usage
Modern usage is overwhelmingly in the compound 土木工程 (tǔmù gōngchéng, civil engineering), a popular but notoriously demanding university major in China.
