According to legend, Chang'e flew to the Moon Palace after secretly eating the elixir of immortality that her husband Hou Yi begged from the Queen Mother of the West. But the high place in the palace is too cold. The so-called "Chang'e should regret stealing the elixir, and the blue sea and sky are in her heart every night" is a reflection of her loneliness. Later, Chang'e confided her regrets to her husband and said: "Tomorrow is the time of the full moon. Make balls of flour, round them like a full moon, place them in the northwest direction of the house, and then call my name continuously. At the third watch, I will You can go home." The next day, he did as his wife told him, and by then the Chang'e fruit would fly from the middle of the moon, and the couple would be reunited. The custom of making mooncakes as offerings to Chang'e during the Mid-Autumn Festival was also formed from this.

Mid-Autumn Festival legend story 2: Wu Gang cut down the osmanthus

It is said that there are osmanthus trees in the moon. "Huainanzi" has said that "there are osmanthus trees in the moon". Later legends are more specific. Next to the osmanthus tree, Wu Gang, a man who cut osmanthus, was added. The legend of the osmanthus tree in the moon and Wu Gang is most detailed in "Tianji", the first volume of Duan Chengshi's "Youyang Zazu" in the Tang Dynasty. It says: "It is said in the past that there are osmanthus and toads in the moon, so A different book says that the laurel tree is five hundred feet high, and there is a man who often cuts it. His name is Wu Gang, a native of Xihe. He has a history of learning from immortals, and he was banished to cut down trees. This means that Wu Gang once followed the immortals to practice Taoism and went to heaven. , but he made a mistake, the immortal sent him to the moon and ordered him to cut down the tree of immortality - laurel. The laurel tree is five hundred feet high and can be cut back together. Emperor Yan used this endless labor to punish Wu Gang. There is a record in Li Bai's poem "If you want to cut the laurel in the moon, you will hold on to the salary of those who are cold".

Mid-Autumn Festival Legend Story Three: The Jade Rabbit Pounds Medicine

This legend was first seen in "Han Yuefu·Dong Jingxing": "The Jade Rabbit knelt down to pound medicine into toad pills, and offered a jade to His Majesty. Pan, take this medicine and you will get immortality." According to legend, there is a rabbit in the moon, which is as white as jade, so it is called "Jade Rabbit". This kind of white rabbit holds a jade pestle and kneels down to pound medicine into toad pills. Taking these pills can lead to immortality. The Jade Rabbit was probably Chang'e's earliest playmate in Guanghan Palace.

The first three Mid-Autumn Festival stories are full of myths and legends. Regarding the connection between the three, one theory is this: According to legend, Yi obtained the elixir of death from the Queen Mother of the West and gave it to Chang'e for safekeeping. Pengmeng heard about it and went to steal it. If he failed to steal, he would harm Chang'e. In desperation, Chang'e swallowed the elixir and flew to the sky. Unable to bear to leave Yi, Chang'e stayed in Guanghan Palace of the Moon. The loneliness in Guanghan Palace was unbearable, so he urged Wu Gang to cut down the osmanthus trees and let the Jade Rabbit pound the medicine, hoping to make a medicine for ascension so that he could return to the world to reunite with Yi as soon as possible.

Mid-Autumn Festival Legend Story 4: Xuanzong Wanders in the Moon

It is said that Tang Xuanzong, Shen Tianshi and Taoist priest Hongdu were looking at the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Suddenly Xuanzong had the idea of ????wandering to the Moon Palace, so Tianshi did it The three of them walked up the blue clouds together and roamed the moon palace. However, the palace is heavily guarded and cannot be entered. The only option is to overlook the Chang'an Imperial City from outside. On this occasion, I suddenly heard bursts of fairy sounds, which were so clear and beautiful that they were so mesmerizing! Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty had always been familiar with the rhythm of music, so he memorized it in his heart. This is exactly what "this song should only be heard in heaven, and how many times it can be heard in the world!" Later, Xuanzong recalled the music and singing of Xian'e in Yuegong, and composed and choreographed the music himself. This is the famous "Nancy Dress and Feather Clothes Song" in history.

Mid-Autumn Festival Legend Story 5: Diao Chan worships the moon

Diao Chan was the singing girl of Situ Wang Yun in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Legend has it that Diao Chan was born into the world, and within three years the local peach and apricot flowers bloomed and then withered; Diao Chan worshiped the moon at midnight, and Chang'e felt ashamed in the moon, and hurriedly disappeared into the clouds; Diao Chan had a pretty figure, thin ears and green rings, and the willows were swayed by the wind when she walked. It is more than elegant when it is quiet, and the beauty of the Diao Chan is a sight to behold. It is precisely because of this beauty that the manipulative Dong Zhuo and the brave and foolhardy Lu Bu turned against each other, giving the turbulent government and opposition a slight sense of peace.