Editing Chang'e (section)

===Tales===
{{See also|Xian (Taoism)}} 
[[File:MET 46 156 25 cons.jpg|thumb|The ornate style of clothing worn by these four women suggests they are [[Xian (Taoism)|Immortals]]. The osmanthus leaf held by the largest figure, at the right, identifies her as the Moon Goddess Chang’e, who inhabits her celestial palace along with a rabbit that prepares the elixir of long life.]]
[[File:White-Rabbit-making-elixir-of-immortality.jpg|thumb|The [[moon rabbit|jade rabbit]] lived on the Moon preparing the elixir of life.]]
There are many tales about Chang'e, including a well-known story about her that is given as the origin of the [[Mid-Autumn Festival]].<ref name=yn5-233/>

In a very distant past, Chang'e was a beautiful woman. Ten suns had risen together into the skies and scorched the Earth, thus causing hardship for the people.<ref name=yn5-233/> [[Hou Yi]], a legendary archer and the husband of Chang'e, shot down nine of them, leaving just one Sun, and was rewarded with two portions of the elixir of immortality.<ref name=yn5-233/> As he did not want to gain immortality without his beloved wife, Hou Yi waited to consume the elixir and left it with his wife, Chang'e.<ref>{{cite web |title=Four Legends Of The Mid Autumn Festival |date=June 2021 |url=https://moonfestivalblog.com/four-legends-of-the-mid-autumn-festival/}}</ref> While Hou Yi went hunting, his apprentice [[Fengmeng]] broke into his house and tried to force Chang'e to give him the elixir, so Chang'e took both portions herself rather than giving them up to Fengmeng. Then, Chang'e flew upward past the heavens, choosing the Moon to be her immortal residence as she loved her husband and wished to live near him.<ref name=yn5-233/> When Hou Yi discovered what transpired, he felt responsible for Chang'e, so he displayed the fruits and cakes that his wife had enjoyed, then killed himself.<ref name=yn5-233>Yang & An 2005, 89–90 & 233.</ref>

In older versions of the story, Chang'e stole the elixir from Hou Yi, drank it, and flew to the Moon so that her husband could not go after her.<ref>{{cite book|title-link=Huainanzi | script-title=zh:淮南子 | title=Huainanzi |date=2011 |publisher= Zhonghua Shuju |orig-date=139 BC|chapter=[[:zh:s:淮南子/覽冥訓|覽冥訓]]|editor=Liu An|editor-link=Liu An|quote=羿請不死藥於西王母，姮娥竊以奔月，悵然有喪，無以續之。}}</ref>

In the most classic version of the story, Wu Gang does good deeds for the King, and receives an immortality pill from him, and is asked to keep it safe in his house. One day, when Wu Gang was not home, thieves broke in, and Chang'e, in a brief shock of pain, swallows it when she was not supposed to. Citizens cried as Chang'e flew up to the Moon, now living with a jade rabbit. Her husband returns, realizes what just happened and mourns her death. He continues to cut wood for Chang'e in the mortal realm. His name is changed to Hou Yi in some adaptations of the myth.