chinese famous legends

mythological stories from China, from Sun Wukong the monkey king to how the Chinese zodiac began

When it comes to my favourite Chinese myths, you won’t be surprised to find many fantastical creatures starring among them.

1.Sun Wukong – the monkey king

The most famous monkey in China is surely Sun Wukong. He is one of the main characters in a Chinese classic, The Journey to the West. At first Sun Wukong is a very naughty monkey, eager to take over the world, and it costs Buddha a lot of effort to tame him. He later becomes a loyal companion to the monk Xuanzang on his adventurous journey from China to India and back again.
and am sure a lot of you watched the movie .. :p

2.Chang’e and Hou Yi

Hou Yi had a potion to become immortal, but it was sufficient only for one. He did not want to part from his beloved wife Chang’e, so he made her look after the potion for him. One day when Hou Yi wasn’t home, his student Feng Meng tried to steal the potion from Chang’e. She knew she couldn’t defeat him, so she drank it. The potion made her fly all the way to the moon, where she is still today, watching the world. When the moon is the brightest, during the Chinese Moon Festival, you can try to spot her up there.

3.The dragon

He clearly is a hero in Chinese mythology: the most powerful and divine creature, controller of the water. Dragons were the symbol of the emperor, bringing luck and good fortune. It is said that the legendary Yellow Emperor turned into a dragon and flew to heaven when he died.

4.The legend of the white snake

This legend has a happier ending. The story is set in the beautiful city of Hangzhou, famous for its lake. A white snake lived in the lake. She had gained magical powers and could turn herself into a human. She falls in love with the scholar Xu Xuan and after overcoming many obstacles they finally convince the gods to bless their union.

5.How the Chinese zodiac started

Here is one popular version of how the animals were allocated to the Chinese zodiac: The Jade Emperor announced a race for all animals to compete for the twelve places in the Chinese zodiac. The rat was supposed to wake up her neighbour the cat in the morning, but simply forgot. The rat joined the other animals in the race to the palace, climbing on the ox, who was running in front, only to jump off when they had reached the palace to become the first animal of the zodiac. It was followed by the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog and the pig. The cat, however, arrived far too late and missed out.