Like any folklore
that evolves with time, the legend of Chan'e, too, has shaped-shifted into different versions over the millennia of its existence. But, there is a common romantic thread that runs between these
multiple renditions of how the beautiful goddess rose up and landed on the moon, leaving behind her one true
love and husband on earth. In one popular version of the legend, Chang'e is introduced as wife
of the Archer Lord Hou Yi, during a time thousands of years ago, when there were 10 suns, all of whom were the
children of Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven. One day lonely in their routine job, all 10 suns came out to play. But the earth could not
endure their smoldering heat. Humans and plants alike
began turning into ashes. Their father, Jade Emperor, now intervened and asked Hou Yi to quell his
son's dangerous merrymaking. But the sons were more
stubborn than Hou Yi imagined. They refused to back down. And so, to save the earth, the Archer shot down
nine of the 10 suns, leaving behind just one. A bereaved and indignant Jade Emperor now banished Hou Yi and his wife Chang'e to live like mortals on earth. Distressed by his wife's grief over becoming an ordinary mortal, Hou Yi set out to find an elixir that could grant them both immortality. He journeyed to meet the
Queen Mother of the West, who lived in a palace on
the sacred Mount Kunlun. The Queen Mother handed Hou Yi a vial of the elixir he came looking for. There was, however, a
serious note of caution when receiving the elixir. The Queen Mother warned Hou Yi that the elixir must be shared
between him and his wife. Upon arriving home, Hou Yi
left the vial with Chang'e, before going off on urgent business. Unable to wait for her
return to the heavens, an anguished Chang'e drank
the whole elixir by herself. But since she had been banished, Chang'e began floating up to the moon instead of the heavens. Angered by his wife's betrayal, Hou Yi chased Chang'e
with his bow and arrow, but he could not bring himself to shoot the woman whom he dearly loved. In some accounts of the legend, it is believed that Hou Yi eventually built a palace on the sun, which represents yang, the male principle, while Chang'e, on her
moon, represents yin, the female principal. And once a year, on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, when the harvest moon
shines the brightest. Hou Yi is able to reunite
with his wife on the moon, while Asian families across the world celebrate their annual
mid-autumn festival, also known as the Autumn Moon Festival to celebrate the Harvest Moon. Families unite around a feast to pay tribute to Chang'e, and many gatherings indulge
in the age old practice of retelling Chang'e's
journey to the moon. Sometimes tellers of Chang'e's saga say the moon goddess drank the elixir to prevent a misdeed. They recount that Hou Yi's evil apprentice tried to steal the elixir, but Chang'e caught his caper and, before he
could do anything, she drank the entire elixir
and floated up to the moon.
