hard-to-overcome obstacle; high hurdle
Idiomatic expression likening a difficult barrier to a thick wall. Often used for social, institutional, or psychological obstacles.
There are still high hurdles for women's advancement in society.
The thick wall of language makes cross-cultural understanding difficult.
Compound of 厚い (thick) and 壁 (wall). The literal meaning 'thick wall' is extended metaphorically to refer to a formidable obstacle.