Modern Legacy
She was ancient China's moon goddess. Now her name is on rockets. Her face is in video games. Her story is a Netflix film. How did a 4,000-year-old myth conquer the modern world?
Chang'e has transcended her mythological origins to become one of the most recognized symbols of Chinese culture worldwide. Her name adorns China's lunar exploration program — one of the most successful space initiatives in human history. She appears in globally popular video games like Smite and Honor of Kings, inspired characters in Genshin Impact and Overwatch, and was the subject of Netflix's animated feature Over the Moon. From ancient poetry to modern rockets, Chang'e is the rare mythological figure who has grown more influential in the 21st century than in any previous era. For the original story of how she became the Moon Goddess, read the origins of Chang'e.
Perhaps the most extraordinary tribute to any mythological figure in human history is the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) — named Chang'e after the Moon Goddess. Beginning with Chang'e 1 in 2007, China's space agency launched a series of increasingly ambitious missions that have reshaped humanity's understanding of the moon. Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2 were orbital probes that mapped the lunar surface in unprecedented detail. Chang'e 3 (2013) made the first soft landing on the moon since the Soviet Luna 24 in 1976, deploying the Yutu (Jade Rabbit) rover — named after Chang'e's companion. Chang'e 4 (2019) achieved the historic first-ever landing on the far side of the moon, a feat no nation had accomplished before. And Chang'e 5 (2020) collected fresh lunar samples and returned them to Earth — the first sample return mission in over 40 years. Chang'e 6, planned for 2026, aims to collect samples from the lunar far side for the first time. For more on Chang'e's lunar companion, visit our page on the Guanghan Moon Palace and the Jade Rabbit.
Space Program CLEP China National Space AdministrationThe most prominent global depiction of Chang'e in recent years is Over the Moon (2020), a Netflix original animated musical produced by Pearl Studio and distributed by Netflix. Directed by Glen Keane (a Disney legend who animated Ariel in The Little Mermaid), the film follows a young girl named Fei Fei who builds a rocket to travel to the moon and meet the legendary goddess. The film's Chang'e is a dazzling, emotionally complex figure — visually stunning in her flowing silks and ethereal glow, but also deeply lonely, still mourning the loss of her beloved Hou Yi after millennia of separation. The film earned critical praise for its visual artistry and its respectful yet creative treatment of the myth.
In Chinese cinema, Chang'e has appeared in countless television dramas and films over the decades. She is a recurring character in the sprawling Investiture of the Gods adaptations, and various period dramas have retold her story. The highly anticipated Ne Zha 2 (2025) — the sequel to the record-shattering 2019 animated film — features Chang'e as a supporting character, signaling her growing prominence in the Chinese animation renaissance. For Chang'e's appearances in the gaming world, see the section below and explore the Nezha hub for the 2019 film connection.
Netflix Animation Chinese CinemaThe global gaming industry has embraced Chang'e as a playable character, a source of inspiration, and a vehicle for introducing millions of players to Chinese mythology. In Smite (Hi-Rez Studios), Chang'e is a fully playable goddess with a unique kit themed around the moon, healing, and her rabbit companion. Her design — flowing white and blue robes, a crescent moon motif, and the Jade Rabbit orbiting her — has become one of the most recognizable depictions of the goddess in Western media. The game's Chinese pantheon expansion brought Chang'e to a global audience of tens of millions.
Honor of Kings (王者荣耀), China's most popular mobile game, features Chang'e as a playable mage character with lunar-themed abilities. Her design in the game draws heavily from classical Chinese aesthetics, with flowing ribbons, moon-shaped projectiles, and the Jade Rabbit as a visual companion. The game's massive player base — over 100 million daily active users — makes this version of Chang'e one of the most-viewed depictions of the goddess in existence. Genshin Impact, the globally dominant open-world RPG from miHoYo, has not included Chang'e directly but has drawn heavily from her mythos for several characters and storylines. The game's moon-related lore, the character of the "Moon Carver," and the overall aesthetic of the game's world owe a clear debt to the Chang'e legend. Meanwhile, the Battle Pass skin Cresent Moon for various characters in Overwatch — particularly Mei's lunar new year skin — draws from Chang'e's visual iconography of moonlit robes and ethereal beauty. For comparison with another globally recognized Chinese mythological figure in gaming, see the Sun Wukong hub and his presence in Black Myth: Wukong.
Smite Honor of Kings Genshin ImpactBeyond space missions and video games, Chang'e has permeated global popular culture in ways both obvious and subtle. During Lunar New Year events, Overwatch regularly features Chang'e-inspired skins — most notably Mei's "Chang'e" skin and Mercy's "Chang'e" mythic skin, both featuring crescent-moon motifs, flowing lunar robes, and rabbit companions. These cosmetics are among the most popular seasonal skins in the game, demonstrating the broad cross-cultural appeal of the goddess's imagery.
In the world of fashion and visual art, Chang'e has become a muse. Luxury Chinese fashion houses and independent designers alike draw from her flowing silk robes and moonlit aesthetic. On Instagram and TikTok, "Chang'e core" has emerged as a recognizable aesthetic trend — pale blues, silvers, moon motifs, flowing fabrics, rabbit imagery, and ethereal lighting. The hashtag #changemakeup trends annually around the Mid-Autumn Festival, with makeup artists across the globe recreating the goddess's signature look. Tattoo artists report that Chang'e — often depicted with her rabbit and a crescent moon — is one of the most requested Chinese mythology subjects, rivaled only by the dragon and the phoenix. For more on the festival that drives much of this cultural celebration, visit our page on the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Fashion Social Media Art & TattooAlmost every culture in human history has looked up at the moon and imagined a god or goddess living there. But Chang'e stands apart from her lunar counterparts in ways that illuminate both her uniqueness and her universal appeal. In Greek mythology, the moon was represented by Selene (later conflated with Artemis). Selene was a Titan goddess who drove a silver chariot across the night sky. She was powerful, divine, and remote — a goddess born to her station. Artemis, the Olympian goddess of the hunt and the moon, was a virgin warrior who protected the wilderness. Neither had Chang'e's defining characteristic: she was once human.
This is what makes Chang'e fundamentally different. She did not descend from the heavens as a moon deity. She ascended — a mortal woman who made a choice and was transformed. Her story is one of sacrifice, love, and the price of doing the right thing. She chose eternal solitude on a barren celestial body to protect something precious. That human origin makes her relatable in a way that Selene or Artemis never quite are. In Japanese mythology, Tsukuyomi is a male moon god born from the right eye of Izanagi. He is powerful but distant, associated more with the passage of time than with human emotion. In Norse mythology, Máni is a male figure who drives the moon chariot, pursued by wolves.
Chang'e is also alone — truly alone — in a way that few moon deities are. Selene had her lovers. Artemis had her nymphs. Tsukuyomi had his divine siblings. Chang'e has only the Jade Rabbit and the condemned woodcutter Wu Gang, separated eternally from her beloved Hou Yi. Her solitude is the core of her tragedy and the source of her enduring emotional power. For a deeper comparison of Eastern and Western mythologies, see our feature on Chinese Mythology vs Greek Mythology. And for a ranking of the most powerful figures in the Chinese pantheon, visit Who Is the Strongest Chinese God?
Comparative Mythology Cross-CulturalWhy does a 4,000-year-old myth about a woman who drank a magic potion and floated to the moon still resonate in the age of smartphones, space stations, and artificial intelligence? The answer lies in the themes that Chang'e embodies — themes that are as relevant today as they were in the Shang Dynasty.
Sacrifice. Chang'e did not drink the elixir for personal gain. She drank it to prevent it from falling into evil hands. Her immortality was not an act of ambition but of protection. In a world that often celebrates self-interest, her choice reminds us that the most meaningful acts are often the ones that cost us the most. Solitude. Chang'e lives alone on the moon. She is the original symbol of chosen isolation — a figure who accepted loneliness as the price of doing the right thing. In an age of constant digital connection, her silence and stillness speaks to something deep in the human psyche. Love across distance. Hou Yi and Chang'e are separated by the void of space itself. Yet their love endures. Every year, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, over a billion people look up at the moon and remember them. Their story is the original long-distance love story — a testament to the idea that love does not require proximity.
The price of doing the right thing. Perhaps this is the deepest reason Chang'e endures. She did everything right. She protected the elixir. She saved the world from Feng Meng's greed. And her reward was eternal loneliness on a cold, lifeless satellite. The myth does not sugarcoat this. It acknowledges that sometimes, doing the right thing leads to personal suffering. That uncomfortable truth is why Chang'e's story has been told for four thousand years and will be told for four thousand more. Her face on a rocket. Her story in a film. Her name on the lips of a billion people every autumn. She is proof that ancient myths do not die — they evolve, they grow, and they find new ways to speak to each generation.
Sacrifice Love EternalNot directly, but the parallel is striking. NASA's Artemis program is named after the Greek goddess of the hunt and the moon — the same Artemis who is sometimes conflated with Selene. Both programs land on the same celestial body and both bear the names of moon goddesses from different cultures. However, there is no official connection between the two programs. China's CLEP (Chang'e program) and NASA's Artemis program are parallel endeavors — two spacefaring nations, two moon goddesses, one lunar destination. The contrast between Chang'e and Artemis is fascinating: Chang'e was a mortal who ascended to the moon, while Artemis was born a goddess. For a deeper discussion, see our comparison of Chinese vs Greek mythology.
The most prominent international film featuring Chang'e is Over the Moon (2020), an Netflix animated musical produced by Pearl Studio. Other films include various Chinese TV dramas and Investiture of the Gods adaptations. The goddess appears in the Ne Zha 2 (2025) sequel and has been featured in numerous Chinese animated shorts and documentaries about the Mid-Autumn Festival. A search for "Chang'e movie" or "Over the Moon Netflix" on YouTube will bring up official trailers and clips.
As of 2026, there have been five completed Chang'e missions: Chang'e 1 (2007, orbiter), Chang'e 2 (2010, orbiter), Chang'e 3 (2013, lander + Yutu rover), Chang'e 4 (2019, far-side lander + Yutu-2 rover — first ever far-side landing), and Chang'e 5 (2020, sample return). Chang'e 6 (far-side sample return) is planned for launch in 2026. Chang'e 7 and Chang'e 8 are in planning stages, focusing on resource utilization and the foundation of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). To learn more about the Jade Rabbit rover, visit the Guanghan Moon Palace page.
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