As a reward, Hou Yi was granted the elixir of immortality. According to Chinese folklore, Chang’e was the wife of Hou Yi, the legendary archer who shot down nine of the 10 suns that were burning the earth. One of the best-known stories about this elixir is that of Chang’e, a Chinese lunar deity. The elixir of immortality is a concept that can be found in Taoist mythology.
(Wellcome Images/ CC BY 4.0 ) Chang’e and the Elixir of Immortality Woodcut illustration of 'Putting the miraculous elixir on the tripod' from Xingming guizhi (Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life) by Yi Zhenren, a Daoist text on internal alchemy published in 1615. In many cases the elixirs, which contain extremely poisonous elements, (ironically) were responsible for the deaths of those who consumed them. The ingestion of such elixirs, however, certainly did not allow them to live forever. These elites would normally patronize Taoist alchemists, who would provide them with some sort of substance that would supposedly give them immortality.
The history of China is filled with emperors and other important men who sought to live forever, but instead died an untimely death for their ambitions. This elixir is expected to grant eternal life to the person who consumes it. The elixir of immortality (known also as the ‘elixir of life’) is a legendary substance found in many ancient cultures.
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