1. The Elixir of Immortality (不死仙药)
The legend of Chang’e (嫦娥) is the spiritual and aesthetic core of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
In ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky, scorching the earth and bringing humanity to the brink of extinction. A heroic archer named Hou Yi (后羿) shot down nine of the suns, saving the world. As a reward, the Queen Mother of the West gave him a vial of the elixir of immortality. However, Hou Yi loved his beautiful wife, Chang’e, too much to become immortal and leave her behind, so he gave her the elixir to hide.
2. The Flight to the Moon (嫦娥奔月)
One day, while Hou Yi was away hunting, his wicked apprentice broke into their home to steal the elixir. To prevent the potion from falling into evil hands, Chang’e swallowed it herself.
Instantly, her body became weightless. She floated out of the window, soaring higher and higher into the night sky. Because she loved her husband and wanted to remain as close to the mortal realm as possible, she chose the Moon as her eternal residence. When Hou Yi returned and discovered what had happened, he was heartbroken. He set up a table in the courtyard under the bright moonlight, displaying her favorite fruits and cakes—the mythological origin of Moon Worship.
3. The Jade Rabbit (玉兔捣药)
Chang’e is not entirely alone in the sprawling, freezing Lunar Palace (Guanghan Gong). Her companion is the Jade Rabbit (玉兔).
According to Buddhist-influenced folklore, three immortals disguised themselves as starving beggars and asked a fox, a monkey, and a rabbit for food. While the fox and monkey found food, the rabbit had nothing but grass. In an act of ultimate self-sacrifice, the rabbit threw itself into the immortals’ fire to offer its own meat. Deeply moved, the immortals sent the rabbit’s spirit to the moon. There, the Jade Rabbit stands under a cassia tree, constantly pounding a mortar and pestle to grind medicinal herbs, trying to create a pill that could return Chang’e to the mortal world.