Chinese Folklore of Chang’e The Moon Goddess

In the realm of ancient China, where myths wove into the tapestry of life, lived a couple whose love story echoed through time. He was Hou Yi, a legendary archer of unparalleled skill, and she was Chang’e, a woman of ethereal beauty and gentle heart.

A time of great peril befell the earth. Ten suns blazed in the sky, their scorching rays withering the land and its people. In a feat of unparalleled courage, Hou Yi, armed with his divine bow, shot down nine of these celestial tyrants, restoring balance to the world. As a reward for his heroism, the Queen Mother of the West, a powerful deity, bestowed upon him an elixir of immortality, a shimmering potion capable of granting eternal life.

Hou Yi, though tempted by the promise of endless existence, hesitated. He loved Chang’e deeply and could not fathom living without her. Together, they decided to safeguard the elixir, hoping to find a way to share its boon.

Yet, destiny had other plans. A treacherous apprentice named Feng Meng, consumed by envy and greed, learned of the elixir. While Hou Yi was away, Feng Meng confronted Chang’e, demanding the potion. Desperate to protect the elixir from falling into the wrong hands, Chang’e made a heart-wrenching decision. She drank the entire potion.

Her body, transformed by the elixir’s potency, became light as a feather. She floated upwards, higher and higher, until she reached the moon, a celestial sanctuary. There, she found solace, though tinged with profound loneliness.

To ease her solitude, the Jade Emperor, ruler of the heavens, sent her a companion: a white rabbit. This gentle creature, with its soft fur and innocent eyes, became her constant companion. The rabbit was said to possess magical abilities, tirelessly grinding herbs in a mortar, rumored to be the components for another elixir, perhaps one to reunite Chang’e with her beloved or to heal her loneliness.

On Earth, Hou Yi was inconsolable. His grief was as vast as the sky. To honor Chang’e, he held an annual celebration on the night of the full moon, offering sacrifices and gazing up at the celestial body that held his heart. This tradition evolved into the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time for families to gather, share mooncakes, and admire the moon, a symbol of love, longing, and hope.

And so, Chang’e remained on the moon, a solitary goddess, her beauty a constant in the ever-changing night sky. Her story, a poignant blend of love, loss, and immortality, has echoed through millennia, inspiring poets, artists, and dreamers alike. For in the heart of every human lies a longing for something more, a desire for connection, and in the tale of Chang’e, we find a reflection of our own aspirations and vulnerabilities.

This Blog story is one of many inspirations to our collections. See our Lunar jade necklace here.

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