it is hard to change one 's nature
Chinese idioms, Pinyin is B ě nx ì NGN á NY í, meaning that the essence is difficult to change. From Liu Yi's biography.
Idiom explanation
Shift: change. The essence is hard to change.
The origin of Idioms
The wedge in Liu Yi's biography by Shang Zhongxian of Yuan Dynasty: "I think that every time he is ungrateful, his nature is hard to change, and he leads me to the decaying grass in the wild field.
it is hard to change one 's nature
unnecessary and overelaborate formalities - fán wén mò jié
The mountain withers and the stone dies - shān kū shí sǐ