Hou Yi
后羿
The legendary archer who shot down nine suns to save the world.
Origin Story
Who Is Hou Yi?
Hou Yi is the greatest archer in Chinese mythology — a hero whose bow could pierce the sun itself. When ten suns appeared in the sky simultaneously, scorching the earth and causing immense suffering, it was Hou Yi who answered the people's plea. He drew his great bow and shot down nine of the ten suns, leaving only one to light and warm the world.
His story is deeply intertwined with that of his wife, Chang'e. The Queen Mother of the West rewarded Hou Yi's heroism with the Elixir of Immortality — but only enough for one person. Hou Yi, unwilling to abandon his wife to mortality, kept the elixir hidden. When Chang'e discovered and consumed it, she ascended to the moon, and the couple was separated for eternity.
Hou Yi — the archer who saved the world from ten burning suns
Hou Yi is one of the greatest heroes in Chinese mythology — a master archer who shot down nine of ten suns burning the earth, saved humanity from catastrophe, and received the elixir of immortality — only to lose it to his wife Chang'e. His story is one of heroism, tragedy, and the bittersweet cost of greatness.
Powers & Symbols
Attributes & Artefacts
Click each card to reveal the details behind Hou Yi's divine attributes.
Magical Artifacts & Weapons
Hou Yi's Divine Arsenal
The legendary weapons and treasures wielded by Hou Yi — each with its own origin story, powers, and mythological significance.
Historical & Cultural Meaning
Beyond the Myth
The Ten Suns Crisis
In ancient times, the Jade Emperor's ten sons — each a three-legged golden crow that took the form of a sun — decided to appear in the sky all at once. The combined heat was catastrophic: crops burned, rivers dried, and the earth cracked. Monsters emerged from the chaos, preying on the suffering people.
The [Jade Emperor](/gods/jade-emperor) sent Hou Yi to frighten the suns back into obedience. But when Hou Yi saw the devastation, his anger overcame restraint. He drew his bow and shot down nine suns, each falling as a golden three-legged crow. Only one sun remained — the one we see today.
The Elixir of Immortality
As a reward for saving the world, the Queen Mother of the West gave Hou Yi two pills of immortality — enough for him and Chang'e to live forever together. But Hou Yi hesitated. He knew that immortality would mean leaving the mortal world forever, and he was not ready. He entrusted the pills to Chang'e for safekeeping.
The story takes a tragic turn here. Depending on the version, Chang'e either swallowed both pills out of curiosity, or was forced to take them to protect them from Hou Yi's treacherous student Feng Meng. Either way, she began to float upward, toward the moon, where she would live alone in the Moon Palace for eternity.
Hou Yi in Chinese Culture
Hou Yi represents the archetypal hero in Chinese mythology — a mortal who defied heaven itself to save humanity. His bow, the Sun-Shooting Bow, is one of the most iconic weapons in all of Chinese legend. The [Mid-Autumn](/folklore/mid-autumn-festival) Festival, with its mooncakes and moon-watching, is deeply connected to the Hou Yi and Chang'e story.
[Hou Yi](/myths/hou-yi-and-change)'s story also carries a cautionary message: even the greatest hero can be undone. His student Feng Meng eventually murdered him, using a club made from a peach wood club. The hero who shot down the suns died not in battle, but by treachery — a reminder that strength without vigilance is fragile.
Sources & References
Primary classical texts: Shanhaijing (山海经, Classic of Mountains and Seas, c. 4th-2nd century BCE) · Fengshen Yanyi (封神演义, Investiture of the Gods, c. 16th century) · Journey to the West (西游记, Xiyouji, c. 16th century) · Records of the Grand Historian (史记, Shiji, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE) · Classic of Mountains and Seas commentary (郭璞注 Shanhaijing, c. 4th century) · Bamboo Annals (竹书纪年, c. 4th century BCE onwards)
Classical translations: Legge, James (trans.). The Sacred Books of the East (1879-1910, 50 volumes covering Chinese classics) · Girardot, Norman J. Myth and Meaning in Early Taoism (University of California Press, 1983) · Werner, E.T.C. A Dictionary of Chinese Mythology (Shanghai: Kelly & Walsh, 1932)
Modern academic references: Birrell, Anne. Chinese Mythology: An Introduction (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993) · Yang, Lihui, and Deming An. Handbook of Chinese Mythology (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005) · Strassberg, Richard E. A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002)
Digital encyclopedias and online resources: Wikipedia — Chinese mythology portal (continuously updated, citations to primary sources) · Encyclopedia Britannica — Mythology and Religion section
Mythology Network
Connections & Relationships
Hou Yi is woven into a larger web of gods, creatures, and legends. Explore the connections below.
Hou Yi
后羿
Explore the Topic
Hou Yi in the Mythology Network
Go deeper — read the topic guides that gather every deity like Hou Yi.