DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

靠山吃山，靠水吃水

Mandarin · pinyin kào shān chī shān , kào shuǐ chī shuǐ

lit. the mountain dweller lives off the mountain, the shore dweller lives off the sea (idiom)
fig. to make the best use of local resources
to exploit one's position to advance oneself
to find one's niche
to live off the land

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Characters in this entry

靠: kào · lean on, trust, depend on; near
山: shān · mountain, hill, peak
吃: chī · eat; drink; suffer, endure, bear
水: shuǐ · water, liquid, lotion, juice

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