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China: Daoist deity Chang-e who stole the elixir of immortality. Woodblock print.

China: Daoist deity Chang-e who stole the elixir of immortality. Woodblock print.

Chang'e, Ch'ang-O, Chang-Ngo or Sheung Ngo, originally known as Heng'e or Heng-O,, is the Chinese goddess of the moon. Unlike many lunar deities in other cultures who personify the moon, Chang'e only lives on the moon. Chang'e is the subject of several legends in Chinese mythology, most of which incorporate several of the following elements: Houyi the Archer, a benevolent or malevolent emperor, an elixir of life, and indeed the moon.

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