A long time ago, there were ten suns lighting up the sky. Each one of the suns took turns to light up the sky each day. However, one day, all the suns came out and scorched the earth. It was so hot that people could not farm causing them to starve and all crops to die. A young man named "Hou Yi" was strong and powerful. He was a very good archer. He wanted to help the people and save their lives. So he went out and shot down nine of the ten suns with his magic bow and arrow.
 | From then on, people could live in peace and happiness. Hou Yi became famous and honorable for what he did. He married a beautiful girl, whose name is Chang Er. Hou Yi was a good husband. He loved his wife very much. He wanted to live with his wife forever. So, he hoped to find the herb of immortality. |
 | One day, Hou Yi went to visit the Western Goddess. He told her what he wanted. The Western Goddess was very touched by Hou Yi. She decided to give him the herb of immortality. However, the herb was only good to make one person immortal. Hou Yi never wanted to leave his wife. So he could not decide who should take the herb, his wife or himself. Either way, one of them would have to leave the other one behind.
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Therefore, Hou Yi told his wife, Chang Er, to put the herb away for the time being. Chang Er put this magic herb in a secret place. However, a man called Bu Mo heard and saw everything. He wanted to have the herb of immortality himself. So, three days later, after Hou Yi left for hunting, Bu Mo came to visit Chang Er and ask her about the immortal herb. Chang Er became suspicious about Bu Mo's intention. She put the herb into her mouth trying to protect it. But she swallowed it by mistake.
 | After a while, she felt her body become lighter and lighter and start to float up higher and higher all the way to the sky. She could not stop herself, because she did not want to leave her husband. However, Chang Er landed on the moon and became an immortal godness. |
 | Hou Yi could not believe what had happened; his wife had left him. Late at night, he looked into the sky and saw that the moon was extremely bright. There was a shadow on the moon, which looked like his beloved wife, Chang Er. This made him miss his wife even more. |
According to the legend, Chang Er transformed herself into brilliant moonlight. Today, couples would declare their love for each other under the full moon of this mid-autumn day. Separated lovers make wishes for their reunion.
