Chang'e
嫦娥
The moon goddess who drank the elixir of immortality and flew to the moon.
Origin Story
Who Is Chang'e?
Chang'e is the goddess of the moon in Chinese mythology. She lives in the Guanghan Palace (Vast Cold Palace) on the moon, accompanied only by the Jade Rabbit who pounds the elixir of immortality.
Her story is inseparable from the Mid-Autumn Festival, when Chinese families gather to look at the full moon, eat mooncakes, and remember her lonely exile.
Chang'e is the Chinese moon goddess, forever living alone in the Moon Palace. Her story is one of love, loss, and the Mid-Autumn Festival — the second most important holiday in Chinese culture.
Powers & Symbols
Attributes & Artefacts
Click each card to reveal the details behind Chang'e's divine attributes.
Historical & Cultural Meaning
Beyond the Myth
The Story of Chang'e and Hou Yi
Chang'e was originally the wife of Hou Yi, the legendary archer who shot down nine of the ten suns that were scorching the earth. As a reward, the Queen Mother of the West gave Hou Yi the Elixir of Immortality — enough for one person.
Hou Yi did not want to become immortal without Chang'e, so he kept the elixir hidden. But while he was away hunting, Chang'e discovered it. In some versions, she drank it to keep it from a treacherous apprentice; in others, curiosity led her to taste it. Either way, the elixir took effect immediately.
Chang'e began to float upward, toward the sky. She tried to cling to the furniture, but the pull was irresistible. She flew higher and higher, until she reached the moon — the closest celestial body to earth. There she has remained ever since, beautiful, immortal, and alone.
The Jade Rabbit
On the moon, Chang'e is accompanied by the Jade Rabbit (Yutu), who eternally pounds the elixir of life with a mortar and pestle. In Chinese folklore, the markings on the full moon are said to resemble a rabbit at work.
The Jade Rabbit is so beloved that China's lunar rover, deployed by the Chang'e 3 mission in 2013, was named Yutu — connecting ancient mythology to modern space exploration.
Chang'e and the Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu Jie) falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. Families gather to share mooncakes — round pastries symbolizing reunion — and look up at the moon, where Chang'e is said to be visible in her palace.
The festival is the second most important in Chinese culture after the Lunar New Year. It celebrates family unity, harvest, and the bittersweet beauty of distance and longing.