橘生淮南则为橘生于淮北则为枳

This phrase is based on a classical Chinese idiom meaning “the environment has a strong influence.” The literal translation is: 'If a tangerine grows south of the Huai River, it remains a tangerine; but if it grows north of the Huai River, it becomes a different fruit called a zhì (a bitter orange). This implies that people or things may change depending on their circumstances or environments.