江山易改稟性難移 jiāng shān yì gǎi bǐng xìng nán yí

DEFINITIONS

  1. rivers and mountains are easy to change, man's character much harder

CHARACTERS

江 jiāng large river; yangzi; surname
山 shān mountain, hill, peak
易 yì change; easy
改 gǎi change, alter; improve, remodel
稟 bǐng report to, petition
性 xìng nature, character, sex
難 nán difficult, arduous, hard; unable
移 yí change place, shift; move about