It's an ability to conform to local conditions and draw on local materials. "The virtuous love mountains, and the wise love water," opines one reader, quoting Confucius. Li I-yuan sums it up this way: whereas Western man tries to conquer nature, traditional Chinese thought holds that man and nature can get along together harmoniously.
李亦園說：中國傳統思想認為人和大地不管任何時間、方向、季節都能和諧相處，所以才有西方人要征服大自然，而中國人要和大自然和諧的差異。