Satellite of love

To most Chinese, the moon will not drive you crazy. Rather, it is the realization, buttressed with high-resolution photos taken by satellites and rovers, that the moonscape looks just like a desert, that is an absolute wet blanket on the romanticism associated with the Earth's natural satellite.

But then, we have learned that science, while capable of unraveling ancient mysteries, should be kept at a distance when we need to conjure up the perfect atmosphere for longing.

The moon featured so prominently in classical Chinese literature that a treasure trove of terms was spawned for description and reference: The Jade Rabbit, the Ice Wheel, the Jade Bow, the Jade Plate, the Ice Mirror, the Jade Toad, the Night Light, the Grand Chill Palace, to name just a few. Most of these terms sprout from a single source - the legend of Hou Yi and Chang'e, who do not so much represent the Sun and the Moon as form the core of traditional Chinese interpretations of celestial bodies.