移 yí

+ A LITTLE MORE +

• 愚公移山 (yú gōng yí shān) Fearless perseverance *Literal. Yugong (Foolish Grandfather) shifts the mountain* – similar to "when there is a will, there is a way". Derived from a mythical story in the             Warring States period, it is a symbolism for "the power of the people (mass)". Yugong (愚公) is the name of the 90-year-old protagonist and a play with words – 愚 literally means Foolish and 公 is an affectionate term to address one's Grandfather. The story has it that Yugong led his children and grandchildren in an attempt to         "displace" two mountains that were hindering their route in and out of the village. Though being criticised that it was unachievable at old age, Yugong believed that he had nothing to lose and when he dies, his grandchildren and later generations would persist on. This moved the Heavens and eventually, the mountains were shifted away.
  

• 山河易改，本性难移 (shān hé yì gǎi, běn xìng nán yí) It is very difficult to change one's nature Literal. Mountains and rivers are easy to alter, one's most basic character is hard to shift – similar to "A leopard cannot change its spots" except this is often used with a negative undertone