關于月神嫦娥有著不同的傳奇故事。最流行的一個是這樣說的。在遠古，有一年天上有著10個太陽。它們散發的巨大灼熱使湖水干涸，也使得人們瀕臨死亡。那時，一個叫后羿的英雄聽聞了這個不幸。憑借著他無與倫比的力量，他在昆侖山拉出了他的神弓并將9個多余的太陽射下。

There are several legends about the moon fairy lady Chang'E. The most popular one goes like that, in the distant past, there used to be 10 suns in the sky one year. The scorching heat dried up the lake and people were at death's door. Just at that time, a hero named Hou Yi heard about this predicament. With his extraordinary power, he then pulled his supernatural bow and shot 9 needless suns down on the peak of Mount Kunlun.

當然后羿對人民做出了巨大的貢獻，自此人們都敬重他，愛護他，支持他。還有一大批志士成群結隊地去投靠他，把他當成他們的老師，因仰慕而尋求他的教導。在這些學習者中，不乏奸詐狡猾之徒，比如蓬蒙。

Hou Yi of course made distinguished contributions to people and was respected, loved and supported by them. A large number of persons of ideals and integrity flocked to Hou Yi to take him as their teacher and seek instructions out of admiration. Among those learners, there was no lack of the treacherous and cunning learner, such as a learner named Peng Meng.

不久以后，后羿和一個美麗善良的女孩嫦娥結婚了。他們非常相愛，相處融洽。一天，后羿去昆侖山見他的朋友，正巧遇上了王母娘娘，后者給了他一包長生不老藥。傳說半包長生不老藥就可以讓一個人長生不老而整包不老藥則可以讓一個人立即升天成仙。

Before long, Hou Yi got married to a beautiful and virtuous girl named Chang’e. They loved each other very much and got along very well. One day, Hou Yi went to Mount Kunlun to meet friends when he encountered the Queen of Heaven who gave him an elixir of life. It was said that half of the elixir could make a person live forever and the whole elixir could make a person become an immortal instantly.

但是后羿并不愿意離開他的妻子，于是他把長生不老藥交給了嫦娥保管。嫦娥把不老藥放進她梳妝臺的百寶匣里，卻恰巧被奸詐的蓬蒙看到了。三天后，當后羿要出門與他的學徒捕獵時，狡猾的蓬蒙假裝生病而沒有外出。當他們沒走多久，蓬蒙就手持寶劍闖入了后羿的房子，威脅嫦娥交出長生不老藥。嫦娥知道自己并沒有能力保護這個藥，于是在緊急關頭，她從百寶匣中取出仙藥并立即一口吞下。突然間，嫦娥從地上飄離，沖出窗戶飛向天上。據說嫦娥因為對她丈夫后羿的牽掛而留在了離地球最近的月亮上成了仙。

However, Hou Yi was unwilling to leave his wife, and he gave the elixir of life to Chang’e for safekeeping. Chang’e put the elixir of life into a case of her dressing table, which was seen by Peng Meng who was very treacherous. Three days later, when Hou Yi went out for hunting with his disciples, the disingenuous Peng Meng pretended to be ill, so he didn’t go with them. Shortly after their leave, Peng Meng broke into Hou Yi’s House with a double-edged sword in his hand. Peng Meng threatened Chang’e to hand over the elixir of life. Chang’e knew that she couldn’t manage to protect the elixir of life. So, at a crisis, Chang’e fetched the elixir of life from the case and swallowed it promptly. Suddenly, Chang’e floated away from the ground, dashed out of the window and flew towards the sky. It was said that Chang’e became an immortal and stayed on the moon which was the nearest to the earth as she was anxious about his husband Hou Yi.

夜里，當后羿回到家里從女仆中得知他離開妻子后發生的事情時，他異常惱火，當即出去殺孟鵬，無奈蓬蒙已經逃走。悲痛欲絕的后羿仰天大吼，呼喚嫦娥的名字。就在那時他驚奇地發現那晚的月亮非常的明亮。他看見一個搖晃的身影正像他的妻子嫦娥。

At nightfall, Hou Yi went back home and was told what happened during his absence from his maids. Hou Yi became extremely enraged and he immediately went to kill Peng Meng. However, Peng Meng had already escaped. The heart-stricken Hou Yi shouted to the sky and shouted Chang’e, just at that time he surprisingly discovered the moon was extremely bright and clear that night and he caught sight of a swaying figure that was exactly like Chang’e.

后羿急忙讓他的女仆在后花園放置了一個大香案，擺上嫦娥最喜歡的食物-新鮮水果和月餅，為住在遙遠的月亮上的嫦娥舉行了一個難忘的典禮。當地人聽說嫦娥飛到月亮上成為神仙后，都在月亮下設大香案以敬拜善良的嫦娥，祈禱她獲得快樂和平安。從那以后，在中秋節敬拜賞月就流傳到現在。

Hou Yi hastily asked his maids to put an incense table in the back garden and put fresh fruits and moon cakes which were the favorite food of Chang’e on the table, holing a memorable ceremony for Chang’e who lived on the distant moon. When the local people heard that Chang’e flew to the sky and became an immortal on the moon, they all arranged incense tables below the moon for the worship of the goodness Chang’e, praying for happiness and safeness. Since then, worshipping and appreciating the moon during Mid-autumn festival has become popular until now.