Chang'e Ascends to the Moon

Legend has it that in ancient times, ten suns hung in the sky, making life unbearable for the people. The hero Hou Yi stepped forward and shot down nine of them in one go, saving all mankind. The Queen Mother of the West rewarded him with an 'elixir of immortality' that could allow him to ascend to heaven and become an immortal. Hou Yi, unwilling to part with his beloved wife Chang'e, entrusted it to her care. Unexpectedly, Hou Yi's disciple, Peng Meng, harbored ill intentions and forced Chang'e to hand over the elixir while Hou Yi was away. In a moment of desperation, Chang'e swallowed the elixir. Her body floated off the ground and flew towards the moon, Earth's closest celestial neighbor, the Guanghan Palace. Upon returning home, Hou Yi was overcome with grief. Every year around this time, he would set out fruits and pastries that Chang'e loved in the courtyard to honor his beloved wife from afar. The people followed suit, and this evolved into the Mid-Autumn Festival custom of moon gazing.