Guanghan Palace () is a mythical palace associated with the Moon in Chinese mythology. It is also known as the Moon Palace (月宫) and the Toad Palace (蟾宫).
Historical records An early reference to Guanghan Palace appears in the Shizhou Ji (Record of the Ten Continents) by Dongfang Shuo. The text is quoted in later encyclopedic works as saying that after the winter solstice, the Moon nourishes its essence at Guanghan Palace. The quotation is preserved in the Leishuo and is also cited by the Ministry of Education's Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary.
A Tang poem by Bao Rong compares a moonlit scene to staying in Guanghan Palace, showing that the name was already used as a literary reference to the Moon Palace during the Tang dynasty.
Xuanzong's journey to the Moon A Tang-dynasty story tells of Emperor Xuanzong's journey to the Moon. The story appears in the Longcheng Lu (Record of Longcheng) by Liu Zongyuan. Xuanzong travels to the Moon with a Daoist master and sees a palace bearing the inscription "广寒清虚之府" ("Palace of Vast Cold and Pure Emptiness"). He also sees celestial women dancing beneath an osmanthus tree and hears music being performed there. After returning to Earth, he recalls the music and associates it with the Song of Neon Clothes and Feather Skirts (霓裳羽衣曲).
A similar account appears in the Taiping Guangji. In the story of the Daoist Luo Gongyuan, Xuanzong travels to the Moon and reaches the Moon Palace, where he sees celestial women dressed in white performing a dance.
Buddhist cosmology
In Buddhist cosmology, the Moon Palace (月宮殿) is paired with the Sun Palace (日宮殿) and appears in the cosmological system centered on Mount Meru. The Sun Palace is said to measure 51 yojana in length and width, while the Moon Palace measures 49 yojanas.
In classical literature
Journey to the West
Guanghan Palace appears in the Ming dynasty novel Journey to the West (Xiyou Ji). In chapter 19, Zhu Bajie recounts that, while serving as Marshal Tianpeng (天蓬元帅), he became drunk during the Peach Banquet and entered Guanghan Palace. He approached Chang'e, who rejected him. The celestial authorities subsequently brought him before the Jade Emperor. Taibai Jinxing intervened, and the Jade Emperor changed the punishment to two thousand strokes and banishment from Heaven. Zhu Bajie then entered a mortal birth and became Zhu Ganglie (猪刚鬣).
Guanghan Palace is mentioned again in chapter 95, in the story of the Jade Rabbit. The rabbit's pestle is described as the implement used to pound medicine in Guanghan Palace, and the rabbit says that it lived in the Moon Palace beside the osmanthus pavilion.
In modern literature
In September 1922, Guo Moruo published Guanghan Gong (广寒宫) in the second issue of Chuangzao (创造), a literary journal associated with the Creation Society. The work was a fairy-tale play (童话剧) and was later included in Guo's poetry collection Xingkong (星空).
Interpretations An interpretation in Hanting District, Weifang, Shandong, connects the Guanghan Palace story with the ancient state of Han (寒国). Sun Jingming (孙敬明), a researcher at the Weifang City Museum, argued that the original Guanghan Palace was an earthly palace in present-day Hanting. According to this interpretation, Hanting was the capital of the ancient Han state, which was associated with the Bo Ming clan (伯明氏). Sun Jingming connected the story of Chang'e with Hou Yi and Han Zhuo, and proposed that Chang'e became associated with the Han state after Han Zhuo killed Hou Yi. Sun Jingming also proposed that the name Guanghan Palace came from the palaces of the Han state, called "Han Palace" (寒宫), combined with guang (广, "broad" or "vast"). He further connected the story of Chang'e's journey to the Moon with the Han clan's association with the Moon as a tribal totem.
A study published by the Shandong Chorography Archives also argues that the Chang'e legend originated in Hanting and connects the story with the ancient Han state.
In popular culture
In 2021, the dance Guanghan Palace (广寒宫) was performed on Henan Television's Mid-Autumn Wonderful Tour. Based on the legend of Chang'e, the performance depicted Chang'e, the Jade Rabbit, the Moon, and Guanghan Palace.
A 2021 report on music and game collaborations noted the song Guanghan Palace (广寒宫), performed in connection with the game Fantasy Westward Journey (梦幻西游).
Lunar feature The name "Guanghan Palace" is also used for a lunar geographical feature at the landing site of the Chang'e 3 mission. The International Astronomical Union approved the name in January 2016. The feature covers an area around the landing site and includes the route travelled by the Yutu rover. The name was taken from the traditional Chinese name for the Moon Palace.
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