Chang'e (嫦娥), one of the most iconic figures in Chinese mythology, is the eternal goddess of the moon, embodying themes of love, sacrifice, and solitude. Her legend is deeply intertwined with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a celebration of family reunion and lunar worship that remains central to Chinese culture.
In poetry and art, Chang'e is depicted as a lonely, ethereal beauty accompanied by a jade rabbit who pounds herbs for the elixir of life, and sometimes a three-legged toad , representing the moon’s transformative power. The Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin famously wrote of her solitude: *"The moon goddess must regret stealing the elixir, / As she gazes at the blue sea, night after night."