Tā niánqīng shí nán zhēng běi zhàn, zǒu biàn le quánguó.
In his youth he fought across the country, traveling everywhere.
Tips
history
From Liu Zongyuan's Tang-dynasty essay 《封建论》. Originally described actual military campaigns; today extended to any grueling back-and-forth effort (sports, business, touring).
culture
《南征北战》 is also the title of a famous 1952 Chinese war film set during the Chinese Civil War — the phrase is deeply embedded in PRC cinema and military culture.
