A moon fairy falls for a hero who becomes a monster — cosmic romance, ancient tragedy.
Chang E is a fairy in the moon. One day she sneaks to the earth where she meets a talented archer, Hou Yi, and falls in love with him. At that time, there are nine suns in the sky and they cause serious droughts on earth. Chang then pleads with the Heavenly Empress for some magic arrows so that Hou can shoot down the spare suns. After that Hou becomes a king with overwhelming support from the people. Later, Hou becomes increasingly cruel and corrupt after ascending to the throne. He wages wars on neighbouring kingdoms and drives his people to extreme misery and hardships. Chang has tried to stop him but fails. At the end, she takes Hou’s magic arrows and returns to the moon.
Costume
Betty Loh Ti's celestial wardrobe — pure 1960s Shaw Brothers opulence.
Practical Effects
Nine suns effects: charmingly handmade cosmic chaos.
Director
Yuan Qiu-Feng
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Adapted from China's Mid-Autumn Festival origin myth; Chang E's moon exile is why we eat mooncakes.
Betty Loh Ti was Shaw Brothers' biggest star but died tragically young at 31; this is one of her final roles.
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