Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a year when ten suns appeared in the sky, scorching the earth and making it smoke and the sea dry, making it impossible for the people to continue their lives. This incident caught the attention of a hero named Hou Yi. He climbed to the summit of Kunlun Mountain, used all his strength, pulled open his divine bow, and shot down nine extra suns with one arrow. Hou Yi made outstanding military achievements and was respected and loved by the people. Many ambitious young people came to learn from him. However, cunning and unscrupulous Feng Meng also infiltrated into it. Not long after, Hou Yi married a beautiful and kind wife named Chang’e. Apart from imparting hunting techniques, Hou Yi spent most of his time with his wife, and everyone envied the loving couple of this talented and beautiful woman.
One day, Hou Yi went to Kunlun Mountain to visit friends and seek spiritual cultivation. On the way, he met the passing Queen Mother of the West and asked her for a packet of immortality medicine. It is said that after taking this medicine, one can immediately become immortal and immortal. However, Hou Yi couldn’t bear to leave his wife and had to temporarily entrust the elixir of immortality to Chang’e. Chang’e hid the medicine in the treasure chest on the dressing table, but was unexpectedly discovered by Feng Meng. Three days later, Hou Yi went hunting with his disciples, while Feng Meng, who had ulterior motives, pretended to be sick and stayed at home, easily deceiving Hou Yi. Not long after Hou Yi led the crowd away, Feng Meng broke into the backyard holding a precious sword and threatened Chang’e to hand over the elixir of immortality. Chang’e realized that she couldn’t compete with Feng Meng. In a critical moment, she decisively turned around and opened the treasure box, quickly swallowing the elixir of immortality. After Chang’e took the medicine, her body immediately floated off the ground, flew out of the window, and flew towards the sky. Because she missed her husband, she chose to land on the moon closest to the human world and became a fairy.
In the evening, Hou Yi returned home and the maids told him about the day’s events. Hou Yi felt both shocked and angry, and immediately drew his sword to seek revenge, but the villain Feng Meng had already escaped. Angry, Hou Yi pounded his chest and feet, crying uncontrollably. He looked up at the night sky with sadness and called out the name of his beloved wife. At this moment, he was surprised to find that the moon tonight was particularly bright, and there seemed to be figures swaying. Her captivating figure is like Chang’e. Every day, Hou Yi would gaze at his beloved wife in front of the moon. So he quickly sent people to Chang’e’s beloved backyard, set up incense altars, placed her favorite honey and fresh fruits, and expressed his longing to Chang’e in the Moon Palace. After hearing the news that Chang’e had flown to the moon and become an immortal, the people set up incense altars under the moon to pray for peace and good fortune to the kind-hearted Chang’e. Since then, the custom of worshipping the moon on the Mid-Autumn Festival has spread among the people.
