Chinese Myths and Legends for Kids
Chinese myths are the oldest stories China has: Pangu separating the sky from the earth, Nüwa mending the sky, Hou Yi shooting down the suns, Chang'e flying to the moon, most of them written down in books more than two thousand years old such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Huainanzi, alongside legends passed on by word of mouth like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl and the twelve animals of the zodiac. Every story here is our own short bedtime retelling, read by a narrator and a voice for each character, in English and Chinese, free to listen to.
Chinese Myths and Legends for Kids (14 stories)
- Ages 3-61 min
Chang'e Flies to the Moon嫦娥奔月
Hou Yi is given a magic pill, and when a thief comes for it, his wife Chang'e swallows it and floats up to the moon. The legend behind the Mid-Autumn Festival in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 4-82 min
The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl牛郎织女
A kind cowherd marries a fairy who weaves the clouds, until the Queen Mother of Heaven draws a river of stars between them. Once a year the magpies build a bridge so they can meet. China's star-crossed love legend in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version.
- Ages 3-72 min
Jingwei Fills the Sea精卫填海
A little princess is carried away by the waves and becomes a small bird, Jingwei, who drops twigs and stones into the sea every day to fill it up. A Chinese myth about never giving up, in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version.
- Ages 4-82 min
Cao Chong Weighs the Elephant曹冲称象
Nobody at court can weigh the huge elephant, until six-year-old Cao Chong puts it on a boat, marks the waterline and weighs stones instead. A true story from the Records of the Three Kingdoms, in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-72 min
Nüwa Mends the Sky女娲补天
When a hole opens in the sky and water floods the land, the goddess Nüwa melts stones of five colours to mend it, and a giant turtle holds up the four corners. The Chinese creation myth in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version.
- Ages 3-61 min
Kong Rong Gives Up the Bigger Pear孔融让梨
Four-year-old Kong Rong picks the smallest pear in the basket and leaves the big ones for his brothers. China's best-loved little story about sharing, in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 4-82 min
Hou Yi Shoots Down the Suns后羿射日
Ten suns climb into the sky at once and scorch the earth, so Emperor Yao calls on the archer Hou Yi, who shoots down nine and leaves one to light the day. The Chinese myth in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version.
- Ages 4-82 min
The Old Man Who Moved the Mountains愚公移山
Ninety-year-old Yugong decides to dig away the two mountains in front of his village, one basket of stones at a time. A neighbour laughs, but Yugong knows his children and grandchildren will carry on. A Chinese fable from the Liezi in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-62 min
The Race of the Twelve Zodiac Animals十二生肖的故事
The Jade Emperor holds a race to pick the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. Rat rides across the river on Ox and jumps off to come first, while Cat sleeps through it all. The folk tale behind the Chinese zodiac in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 5-92 min
Yu the Great Tames the Flood大禹治水
When a great flood covers the land, Yu digs channels to lead the water to the sea instead of blocking it. Three times he passes his own door without going in, and after thirteen years the rivers run to the sea. A Chinese legend from the Records of the Grand Historian in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 4-81 min
Sima Guang Breaks the Water Jar司马光砸缸
A little girl falls into a huge water jar and the other children run, but seven-year-old Sima Guang picks up a stone and breaks the jar so the water pours out. A true story from the History of Song, in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 4-82 min
Kuafu Chases the Sun夸父追日
The giant Kuafu runs after the sun, drinks two rivers dry and lies down to rest, and his staff grows into a forest of peach trees. A Chinese myth from the Shanhaijing in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-72 min
Pangu Separates Sky and Earth盘古开天地
Before there was a world, there was an egg, and inside it slept the giant Pangu. He splits the egg with his axe, holds up the sky for eighteen thousand years, and becomes the sun, the moon and the mountains. A Chinese creation myth in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-62 min
The Nian Monster and the New Year年兽的故事
Every New Year's Eve the monster Nian comes down from the mountains, until an old man shows a village that it fears red, fire and loud noise. The legend behind red paper, lanterns and firecrackers, in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
About Chinese Myths and Legends for Kids
There is no single book of Chinese mythology. Pangu, Nüwa, Kuafu and Jingwei appear in scattered passages of the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing), the Huainanzi and the Liezi, often only a few dozen characters long; the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl begin in the Book of Songs and the Nineteen Old Poems, and gained their bridge of magpies in later folklore. Cao Chong weighing the elephant, Kong Rong giving up the bigger pear and Sima Guang breaking the water jar come from the Records of the Three Kingdoms, a commentary on A New Account of the Tales of the World and the History of Song: small true stories about real people, so widely told that they belong here too. The classical texts are all in the public domain; where one exists we print it on the story's page. Our retellings keep each story's outline and leave out what does not suit bedtime.
Read this story to your child in your own voice
- Record your voice and confirm it's really you
- Pick any story, in English or Chinese
- A few minutes later, hear it in your voice; you can also download the MP3
From about $1.05 a story, or $1.99 for a first-order taster. Reading and listening are always free, and failed generations are refunded.
Questions about Chinese Myths and Legends for Kids
- What are the most famous Chinese myths for kids?
- Chang'e flying to the moon, the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, Jingwei filling the sea, Nüwa mending the sky, Hou Yi shooting the suns, Yu taming the floods and the race of the twelve zodiac animals. Every Chinese child grows up with them, and each one has a page here.
- What age are these stories for?
- Each retelling is three to four minutes long. Children from 3 can follow the simpler ones, like Chang'e or the zodiac race; from about 5 they enjoy Hou Yi and Yu the Great, and the talking points under each story. Every page shows the ages it suits.
- Where do Chinese myths come from?
- From ancient books: the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Huainanzi, the Liezi and others written more than two thousand years ago, plus legends passed on by word of mouth. Each story page names its source, and prints the original passage where there is one.
- Are the stories read aloud?
- Yes, in both languages, as a small audio play: a narrator reads the story and each character has a voice of its own. The English narration is by a native English voice; the Chinese version is read in Mandarin with read-along highlighting.
- Can my child learn Chinese with these stories?
- They are a natural way in: every story has a Chinese version with Mandarin narration, read-along highlighting and a word list with pinyin, and these are the stories Chinese children themselves grow up hearing. Reading and listening are free, with no sign-up.