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Chang’e is best known for stealing an elixir of immortality from her husband, the legendary archer Hou Yi, and escaping to become the goddess of the moon.

Physical Description

Body Features

Prior to becoming the spirit of the moon, Chang’e was a woman renowned throughout Middleland for her beauty. She had pale, milky skin, hair as black as night, and lips like cherry blossoms. In art, Chang’e is consistently depicted as a graceful young lady wearing stylish hair ornaments and long, flowing robes. She is sometimes shown holding an elegant white rabbit. Occasionally, Chang’e may be depicted as an ugly toad.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

While Chang’e is associated with a number of different myths, she is best known for stealing the elixir of immortality. This is a myth that features a few variations. In some retellings, Chang’e is forced to drink the elixir when her husband’s apprentice tries to steal it for himself. In others, Chang’e is simply a greedy women who steals the elixir out of selfishness. In all versions, however, Chang’e drinks the potion, becomes immortal, and flees to the moon.
When the earth was still young, there were ten suns in the sky. It was incredibly hot all the time and there was no such thing as night. Using his talent for archery, Hou Yi shot down nine of the ten suns. To reward him for his heroic deeds, the goddess Xiwangmu gave him an elixir of immortality, a prize typically reserved for immortals who had achieved enlightenment. While Hou Yi was grateful for the gift, he felt conflicted. Xiwangmu had only given him enough elixir for one person, and he did not wish to be immortal if his wife could not live at his side for eternity. Ultimately, Hou Yi decided to remain mortal and hide the elixir under his bed, where Chang’e discovered it and drank every last drop. Fearing her husband’s wrath, the now immortal Chang’e fled to the moon. Absence made the heart grow fonder, and Hou Yi soon found himself missing his wife dearly. He missed her so much that he started leaving sweet treats—including moon cakes and fruits—out each night to appease her. This tradition continues to this day. This tradition continues today, as many people leave annual offerings to Chang’e during the Moon Festival.
In an alternative ending to this tale, Chang’e is punished for betraying her husband and turned into an ugly toad, forever doomed to live out a lonely and repulsive existence on the moon.

Social

Family Ties

Chang’e is married to the legendary archer hero Hou Yi. Little is known about Chang’e’s family. In some versions of her myth, Chang’e served the Jade Emperor before being condemned to live as a mortal for accidentally breaking a porcelain pot.
Chang’e is often confused with the less popular lunar goddess, Changxi, who gave birth to twelve moons. Some believe that Chang’e may be Changxi’s mother due to their similar names and status as moon goddesses.