Digging a bit deeper

News can be simply an accumulation of 'factoids' accepted into your consciousness and filed but I prefer to consider it as a learning opportunity. In the newspaper business, much of the illumination and depth of a story often comes in the form of side-bars; those brief looks offering a slightly different angle or approach. The Chinese have obviously learned the value of the side-bar because this item comes from the their 'lead' news source, XinHua.

China's lunar orbiter, the story behind "Moon lady" Chang'e
XICHANG, Sichuan, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's first moon orbiter which is likely to be launched at around 6:00 p.m. Wednesday from a southwest launch center, has been named after "moon lady" Chang'e, a mythical Chinese goddess who flew to the moon.

Chang'e and her husband Hou Yi, an outstanding archer, are the subjects of one of the most popular of Chinese mythological legends.

According to one version of the story, Chang'e was the beautiful wife of Hou Yi, a hero who shot down nine suns scorching the earth. At that time, there were ten suns that took turns to circle the earth one every 10 days, but one day all ten suns emerged together, causing immense damage on earth.

The shooting-down of nine suns by Yi, a famous archer, was highly praised by people on earth. Yi then had more disciples longing to learn archery including the evil Peng Meng.

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