What is the moral of Pangu Separates Sky and Earth?

Big things are made slowly. Pangu grew only a little each day, but he kept at it for eighteen thousand years, and that is how the sky became so high. Learning to walk, to read or to swim works the same way: a little every day.

Where does the Pangu myth come from?

The earliest written version is in the Sanwu Liji by Xu Zheng, a scholar of the 3rd century AD, quoted in the Tang encyclopedia Yiwen Leiju: heaven and earth were mixed like a chicken’s egg, and Pangu was born inside. His other book, the Wuyun Linianji, adds that Pangu’s body became the sun, moon, mountains and rivers. The story is much younger than most Chinese myths and may have come from the peoples of the south.

Pangu is the giant of Chinese myth who separated sky and earth, the first being in the world. The old texts don’t treat him as a god to pray to, though later folk belief and some temples did. In our story he is simply a sleepy giant who wakes up, works hard and lies down to rest.

Is there a Chinese version of Pangu Separates Sky and Earth?

Yes. It is called 盘古开天地 (Pán gǔ kāi tiān dì). This page has our Chinese retelling with Mandarin narration next to the English one, and the classical original.

Pangu Separates Sky and Earth (盘古开天地)

Ages 3–7
English audio 2 min
Mandarin audio 3 min

Pangu Separates Sky and Earth is a classic story from Chinese Myths and Legends for Kids, for children aged 3–7. This page has the English story with a native English narration (about 2 min), plus the Chinese version with Mandarin narration (about 3 min). Free to read and listen, no sign-up.

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.

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Read Pangu Separates Sky and Earth

Long ago, there was no sky and no earth. The world was a big egg, and inside it slept a giant named Pangu.

After eighteen thousand years, Pangu woke up in the dark. "I want out!" he said.

He found a great axe and swung it. Crack! The egg broke open. Light things rose and became the sky. Heavy things sank and became the earth.

Pangu held up the sky with his head. The sky whispered, "Pangu, can you hold me?" "I can!" said Pangu. "You go up, and I'll grow."

Every day the sky rose higher and Pangu grew taller, for eighteen thousand more years.

Pangu was tired. He lay down. "Sky and earth, be good. I'll sleep now," he said. "Sleep, Pangu. We will be fine," said the sky.

His breath became the wind. His eyes became the sun and the moon. His hair became the stars, and his body became the mountains.

When you see the moon at night, that is Pangu watching over you.

The Chinese version: 盘古开天地

很久很久以前，没有天，也没有地。世界混混沌沌的，像一个大鸡蛋。鸡蛋里睡着一个巨人，名叫盘古。

盘古睡了一万八千年。有一天，他醒了，四周黑乎乎的，什么也看不见。他说：“太挤了，太黑了，我要出去！”

盘古摸到一把大斧头，用力一挥。咔嚓一声，大鸡蛋裂开了。轻的、亮的往上飘，变成了天；重的、暗的往下沉，变成了地。

盘古怕天和地又合上，就用头顶着天，用脚踩着地。天空轻声问：“盘古，你撑得住吗？”盘古说：“撑得住！你往上，我就长高。”

天每天升高一丈，地每天加厚一丈，盘古也每天长高一丈。这样又过了一万八千年，盘古成了顶天立地的巨人。

盘古累了。他轻轻地躺下来，说：“天和地，你们好好的，我睡一会儿。”天空说：“睡吧，盘古，我们会好好的。”

盘古睡着以后，他呼出的气变成了风和云，左眼变成了太阳，右眼变成了月亮。他的头发变成了满天的星星，身体变成了高山，汗水变成了雨水和小河。

从此，天上有了太阳和月亮，地上有了山和河，世界又亮又热闹。晚上你抬头看见月亮，那就是盘古在看着你呢。

Pangu Separates Sky and Earth (盘古开天地): the moral of the story

Big things are made slowly, one day at a time. Pangu grew just a little every day, and that is how the sky got so high.

The original Chinese text of Pangu Separates Sky and Earth

天地混沌如鸡子，盘古生其中。万八千岁，天地开辟，阳清为天，阴浊为地。……天日高一丈，地日厚一丈，盘古日长一丈。

— 《三五历纪》（唐《艺文类聚》引）

Our translation

Heaven and earth were mixed together like a chicken’s egg, and Pangu was born inside it. After eighteen thousand years, heaven and earth came apart: the clear and light part became heaven, the heavy and murky part became earth. … Each day heaven rose ten feet higher, the earth grew ten feet thicker, and Pangu grew ten feet taller.

— Sanwu Liji by Xu Zheng (3rd century AD), as quoted in the Yiwen Leiju

Chinese words in Pangu Separates Sky and Earth

Play the Chinese narration and listen for these words. The pinyin shows the tones.

盘古pán gǔ
Pangu
天tiān
sky
地dì
earth, ground
鸡蛋jī dàn
egg
斧头fǔ tou
axe
太阳tài yáng
the sun
月亮yuè liang
the moon
星星xīng xing
stars

For families learning Mandarin

Mandarin learning pack

Print the story, read it together, then listen and say it back. Made for heritage families and children learning Mandarin.

A printable PDF (4 pages): the Chinese story with pinyin over every character, the words to know, the English version, questions to talk about, and character writing practice.
Slow Mandarin audio (5 min): every sentence at a gentler pace, followed by a pause long enough to say it back.

Buy once, download again any time. The story itself stays free to read and hear. Try the free sample pack (The Tortoise and the Hare) first.

Page one of the Pangu Separates Sky and Earth learning pack: the Chinese story with pinyin over every character

Bedtime storytelling tips

Make Pangu’s “I want out!” a big stretch and a push, as if your child is bursting out of the egg too. Then say “Crack!” with a clap.
For the holding-up-the-sky part, raise your arms slowly over your head and let your child do the same. Count the days together, slower and slower: one more day, one more day…
The last two paragraphs are for drifting off. Slow right down, and finish by looking at the window: if the moon is out, that is Pangu. In Chinese the moon is 月亮 (yuè liang).

Things to talk about afterwards

What was the world like before Pangu woke up?
Why did Pangu hold up the sky with his head?
Pangu’s eyes became the sun and the moon. If you could become part of the world, what would you be?

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Pangu Separates Sky and Earth (盘古开天地): common questions

What is the moral of Pangu Separates Sky and Earth?: Big things are made slowly. Pangu grew only a little each day, but he kept at it for eighteen thousand years, and that is how the sky became so high. Learning to walk, to read or to swim works the same way: a little every day.
Where does the Pangu myth come from?: The earliest written version is in the Sanwu Liji by Xu Zheng, a scholar of the 3rd century AD, quoted in the Tang encyclopedia Yiwen Leiju: heaven and earth were mixed like a chicken’s egg, and Pangu was born inside. His other book, the Wuyun Linianji, adds that Pangu’s body became the sun, moon, mountains and rivers. The story is much younger than most Chinese myths and may have come from the peoples of the south.
Is Pangu a god?: Pangu is the giant of Chinese myth who separated sky and earth, the first being in the world. The old texts don’t treat him as a god to pray to, though later folk belief and some temples did. In our story he is simply a sleepy giant who wakes up, works hard and lies down to rest.
Is there a Chinese version of Pangu Separates Sky and Earth?: Yes. It is called 盘古开天地 (Pán gǔ kāi tiān dì). This page has our Chinese retelling with Mandarin narration next to the English one, and the classical original.

Source and how we retold it

From the Sanwu Liji (三五历纪) by Xu Zheng of the kingdom of Wu in the Three Kingdoms period (3rd century AD). The book itself is lost; these lines survive because the Tang dynasty encyclopedia Yiwen Leiju quoted them, and they are in the public domain. The idea that Pangu’s body became the sun, the moon and the mountains comes from Xu Zheng’s other book, the Wuyun Linianji. We joined the two into one bedtime story, added the sky talking to Pangu, and told his death as falling asleep.

The narration on this page is AI-generated: the English is read by our narrator and the Chinese by our narrator. The audio files are labeled as AI-generated.

If you liked Pangu Separates Sky and Earth (盘古开天地), there are more stories in Chinese Myths and Legends for Kids. You can also read this one to your child in your own voice.