Chinese Mythology

Visit the links to learn about Chinese myths related to objects in the sky, the Earth, and aspects of their world.

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In ancient times, Chinese people believed that there were twelve Moons as there were twelve months in one year. It was believed that the Moons were made of water. The name "mother of moons" is associated with that of <a href="/mythology/moon_china.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/cli_greengas.html">Heng-o</a>. This image shows the detail of an eighteen-century embroidered emperor's robe including a white hare, which was believed to have lived in the moon.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.</em></small></p>

Explore Chinese Mythology

The Ten Suns

Chinese people believed that there existed ten suns that appeared in turn in the sky during ...Read more

The Moon: Heng-O

In ancient times, Chinese people believed that there were twelve Moons as there were twelve ...Read more

The Creation: Pan-Ku

According to a primitive Chinese myth, at the beginning of time, the universe had the shape ...Read more

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Did you know that Uranus is tilted so that its rotational axis is almost in the plane of the ecliptic?

Did you know that different cultures imagined different constellations, based on their own cultural context?

 

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Epicenter
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Composition of Rock Sediment Affected the Strength of Earthquakes in Sumatra

Earthquakes occur regularly in Sumatra, Indonesia because it is located near the boundary of two of Earth's tectonic plates. These earthquakes occur at 'subduction zones,' which are areas where one tectonic...Read more


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