Legend of the Chang Er is the Origins associated with the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the traditional Chinese festivals. It has many rich and ancient legends associated with the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. These mythical tales enrich the festive atmosphere with interesting stories and histories and also adding a weave of mystery behind it.
Legend goes that in ancient
China, the sky suddenly appeared ten Suns. The ten scorching suns burnt the lands, ruining crops and drying rivers. Just as the situation was at its direst and all seemed lost for the people on earth, a hero appeared. His name was Hou Yi. With his bow and arrows, he ascended the peak of Kun Lun Mountain and using his mighty strength and godly archery skills, he shot down nine of the suns.
The land and its people were saved from the catastrophe and Hou Yi became honoured as a saviour. Many people came to become his archery disciplines, but among his students, there was a cunning and devious man called Peng Meng.
Soon Hou Yi married Chang Er, a beautiful and kind girl. Other than teaching archery classes, Hou Yi spent his time with Chang Er and they were much adored and admired as a loving pair of couple.
One day, as Hou Yi was travelling to Kun Lun Mountain to visit a friend, he chanced upon the Jade Empress, a heavenly goddess. To the Jade Empress, he requested and was given the pill of immortality, which was able to transform a moral into a deity.
Hou Yi was reluctant to leave his wife alone on earth however and passed the pill of immortality to Chang Er for safekeeping. The devious Peng Meng overheard about the pill and wanted it for his selfish means. Whilst Hou Yi was out hunting with his other disciplines, Peng Meng stormed into their house with a sword in his hand and demanded Chang Er to give him the pill of immortality. Unable to fight against Peng Meng and afraid that he would use the pill for evil purposes, Chang Er swallowed the immortality pill.
Immediately, Chang Er became light and started to float out the window. She flew up the sky beyond her control. As she flew higher and further from earth, she yearned badly to see her husband again. Hence, seeing the moon being the nearest heavenly land from earth, Chang Er landed and stayed on the moon.
When Hou Yi came back in the evening and knew of the incident, he was extremely upset. Dashing out to the backyard garden, he yelled out his wife’s name in sadness. Suddenly, he noticed that the moon was brighter than normal and he could notice a familiar shadow moving on the moon, much resembling his beloved wife, Chang Er.
Hou Yi realized that Chang Er had become a deity on moon. He set up an incense altar below the moonlight and placed her favourite fruits and snacks as a memorial for Chang Er. Word spread that Chang Er has become the moon deity and people have since every Mid-Autumn place offerings and pray to the moon for the kind-hearted Chang Er to grant peace and happiness to them.
Although sad and lonely, Chang Er is not the only one on the moon. She is accompanied by Jade Rabbit and Wu Gang the woodcutter. You can often see on mooncake packaging, drawings of Chang Er and a cute white fluffy rabbit. How the rabbit came to live on the moon also has a story.
There are several versions to the story. One claims that the rabbit is in fact Chang Er herself. One says that Hou Yi transformed into Chang Er’s favourite animal, a white rabbit to keep her company on the moon. And another mentioned a rabbit fairy, sympathizing on Chang Er’s plight, sent his youngest daughter to keep her company.
Below is yet another version.
In this legend, three gods descended on earth and disguised themselves as three pitiful old men. They met fox, monkey and rabbit and asked them to spare them some food. Both the fox and monkey did so.
However, the rabbit had no food, hence it told the three old men to eat itself. Shortly after, it jumped into the fire. The gods were greatly moved and made the rabbit live immortally in the moon palace.
No matter what version the story is, the jade rabbit’s task on moon was to pound and create the pills of immortality. It is also sometimes said that Chang Er, missing dearly her husband on Earth, asks Wu Gang the woodcutter (with his wood for fuel or ingredient) and the Jade Rabbit to help create a magical pill to allow her to fly back to earth to reunite with Hou Yi.
Wu Gang chopping the Osmanthus Tree
Also stuck on the moon, Wu Gang is made to chop down an osmanthus tree in the moon palace by the Jade Emperor. However, this tree magically heals itself from any damage and hence it has become an eternal punishment for Wu Gang to chop on the tree that never falls.
Another version tells of Wu Gang as the protector of the osmanthus tree on moon. And it was he who handed down the seeds of the tree to earth. Without him, the humans would have no osmanthus trees to make the fragrant osmanthus tea and osmanthus flavoured wine.
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