CHANG'EFLIESTOTHEMOON
(Chang'eBenYue)
Houyi(seefurtheronthestoryHouyiSheRi),seekingperpetualyouth,obtainedtheelixirofimmortalityfromQueenMotheroftheWestwholivedintheKunlunMountains.Returningtohispalace,heconfidedthegoodnewstohiswifeChang'e,aladygracefulofcarriageandunparalleledofbeauty,verymuchlovedbyherhusband.
Oneday,whenHouyiwasout,Chang'esecretlyswallowedthepotioninthehopethatshewouldbecomeimmortal.Theresultwasquiteunexpected:shefeltherselfbecominglight,solightthatsheflewupinspiteofherself,driftingandfloatingintheair,untilshereachedthepalaceofthemoon.
Sheisregardedbylatergenerationsasthegoddessofthemoon.
ThisbeautifulstoryhasalwaysbeenlikedbytheChineseandprovidesafavouriteallusionforpoetsandwriters.
ChairmanMaoZedong'spoeminmemoryofhismartyredwifeYangKaihuihasthesewell-knownlines:
Thelonelymoongoddessspreadsheramplesleeves
Todancefortheseloyalsoulsininfinitespace.
Here,intheChineseoriginal,thenameChang'eisusedinsteadof"moongoddess".
ThefigureofChang'e,abeautydressedintheelegantgarmentsofabygoneagefloatingtowardsthemoon,naturallysuppliesunendinginspirationforpaintersandsculptors