"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" ( Chinese: ????,????; pinyin: Qianli zhi xíng, shiyú zú xià; lit. 'A journey of a thousand Chinese miles ( li) starts beneath one's feet') is a common saying that originated from a Chinese proverb. The quotation is from Chapter 64 of the Dao De Jing ascribed to Laozi, [1] although it is also erroneously ascribed to his contemporary, Confucius. [2] This saying teaches that even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point; something which begins with one first step.