In remote antiquity, there were ten suns rising in the sky, which scorched all crops and drove people into dire poverty. A hero named Hou Yi was much worried about this, he as the Kunlun Mountain and, directing his superhuman strength to full extent, drew his extraordinary bow and shot down the nine superfluous suns one after another. He also ordered the last sun to rise and set according to time. For this reason, he was respected and loved by the people and lots of people of ideals and integrity came to him to learn martial arts from him. A person named Peng Meng lurked in them.
Hou Yi had a beautiful and kindhearted wife named Chang E. One day on his way to
the Kunlun Mountain to call on friends, he ran upon the Empress of Heaven Wangmu
who was passing by. Empress Wangmu presented to him a parcel of elixir, by
taking which, it was said, one would ascend immediately to heaven and become a
celestial being. Hou Yi, however, hated to part with his wife. So he gave the
elixir to Chang E to treasure for the time being. Chang E hid the parcel in a
treasure box at her dressing table when, unexpectedly, it was seen by Peng
Meng.
One day when Hou
Yi led his disciples to go hunting, Peng Meng took a sword in hand, rushed into the inner chamber and forced Chang E to
hand over the elixir. Aware that she was unable to defeat Peng Meng, Chang E made a prompt decision at that critical moment. She turned round to open her
treasure box, took up the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp. As soon as she
swallowed the elixir her body floated off the ground, dashed out of the window
and flew towards heaven. Peng Meng escaped.
When Hou Yi returned home at dark, he knew
from the maidservants what had happened. Overcome with grief, Hou Yi looked up
into the night sky and called out the name of his beloved wife when, to his
surprise, he found that the moon was especially clear and bight and on it there
was a swaying shadow that was exactly like his wife. He tried his best to chase
after the moon. But as he ran, the moon retreated; as he withdrew, the moon came
back. He could not get to the moon at all.
When people heard of the story that Chang E
had turned into a celestial being, they arranged the incense table in the
moonlight one after another and prayed kindhearted Chang E for good fortune and
peace. From then on the custom of worshiping the moon spread among the
people.
People in different places follow various
customs, but all show their love and longing for a better life. Today people
will enjoy the full moon and eat moon cakes on that day.
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