According to Chinese mythology, there was a time when ten suns circled the earth. The heat scorched the land and was pooressive to the people. One day, a master archer named Hou Yi was responsible for shooting down nine of ten suns that appeared together one day and burned so brightly the very existence of all living on earth was threatened. Hou Yi came to the rescure as he took his bow and arrows to shot down nine of the ten suns.

As a reward for his action, Queen Mother of the West gave him a magic potion. If he drank the magic potion, he would become immortal. Although Hou Yi wanted to be immortal, he didn't want to leave his beautiful wife, Chang E. Hou Yi told the Chang E his dilemma and tehn he processed to fast and wait for one year before deciding whether to drink it. On day whild her husband was out, Chang-E found the magic potion and swallowed it.

Immediately, she felt dizzy and rose into the sky, where, as some legends describe, she first turned into a rabbit and then into a three-legged toad. ( the frog, a creature of ponds and lake, is controlled by the moon, which regulates the tides. Both the frog and moon are symbols associated with water.) Chang E settled on the moon. Recognizing her mistake, she asked the Queen Mother of the West to make her husband immortal, too. The Queen Mother of the West granted Chang E her wish, but to punish her for her selfishness, she separated the two. Chang E now rules over the lunar kingdom " Palace of Great Cold" , while Hou Yi rules over the solar realm. They are only allowed to meet once a year on the 15th of the 8th lunar month.