Hou Yi 后羿
Hòu Yì
When ten suns rise together and scorch the earth, the archer Hou Yi climbs a mountain to save the people below.
- Chinese name
- 后羿
- Pinyin
- Hòu Yì
- Best known for
- 后羿射日
- Reading level
- HSK 4 recommended
Who is Hou Yi?
Hou Yi is the archer familiar from Chinese stories about ten suns and unbearable heat. In the popular retelling, he shoots down nine suns and leaves one to light the world. His bow makes him a rescuer whose extraordinary skill answers a disaster affecting everyone.
The ten suns and the early account
Follow the traditional account and the details that distinguish it from later retellings.
The source account
The Benjing Xun chapter of the Huainanzi says that ten suns appeared together during Yao’s time. Crops and plants were scorched, and people had no food. Yao then sent Yi to deal with a series of threats; shooting at the suns appears among his actions.
Reading the details
The familiar nine-down, one-left sequence gives modern readers a clear explanation for the single sun they see. The cited Huainanzi passage names Yi and describes shooting at ten suns, but does not spell out that whole familiar sequence. Reading the early account alongside a learning retelling helps keep those levels of detail distinct.
Hou Yi in Chinese and pinyin
后羿 is pronounced Hòu Yì, with two fourth tones. English texts also write Houyi or refer to the archer simply as Yi. 羿 is a personal name, not the ordinary Chinese word for an archer.
后羿射日 (Hòu Yì shè rì) means ‘Hou Yi shoots the suns.’ 射 means to shoot, and 日 means sun in this title. Chinese nouns do not need a plural ending, so 日 alone does not tell you how many suns the story contains.
How does Chang’e connect to Hou Yi?
In familiar moon-legend retellings, Chang’e is Hou Yi’s wife, and the couple become separated when she takes the elixir and reaches the moon. The sun-shooting episode and the moon journey are often told together, but versions differ in how they explain the elixir and her decision.
Start with our sun-shooting story to follow the heat, the archer’s response, and the remaining sun. Then read the Chang’e story as a related tale. Avoid assuming that every early reference to Yi contains the complete plot of a modern Mid-Autumn story.
Meet Hou Yi
in Chinese.
A short excerpt from Hou Yi Shoots the Suns, with character-aligned pinyin.
Long ago, there were ten suns in the sky.
They originally took turns appearing and bringing light and warmth to the earth.
很久以前，天空中有十个太阳。
它们原来轮流出来，给大地带来光和热。
Traditional accounts vary across texts and periods. This guide distinguishes its source from later adaptations.
Questions about Hou Yi
Names, source traditions, and the details behind the story.
How many suns does Hou Yi shoot down?
In the familiar popular story, he shoots down nine of ten suns and leaves one. Early texts can be briefer: the cited Huainanzi passage describes Yi shooting at ten suns without narrating every detail of that sequence.
Is Hou Yi the same person as Chang’e?
No. Hou Yi is the archer; Chang’e is the lunar figure who reaches the moon after taking an elixir. They are husband and wife in familiar retellings.
What does 后羿射日 mean?
后羿射日 (Hòu Yì shè rì) means ‘Hou Yi shoots the suns.’ 射 is the shooting action, and 日 names the sun or suns.