Who endlessly chops a cassia tree on the moon?

Wu Gang is the figure who endlessly chops a self-healing tree on the Moon in Chinese mythology. The tree is often translated into English as cassia, although the Chinese term guì can refer to osmanthus as well.

In the legend, Wu Gang is condemned to cut down the lunar tree, but it grows back after every blow. The punishment makes his labor impossible to complete and has led to comparisons with Sisyphus, the Greek figure forced to perform an endlessly futile task.

The exact reason for Wu Gang’s punishment varies. One version says he murdered a rival after discovering an affair involving his wife; another portrays him as an impatient student seeking immortality. In each version, the Moon and the regenerating tree remain central.

The story is linked with Mid-Autumn Festival imagery. Osmanthus blossoms, moonlight, and cassia wine are traditional lunar associations, while the Chinese idiom “Wu Gang chopping the tree” describes unending toil. Wu Gang is not Hou Yi, the archer associated with the ten suns, nor Kuafu, the giant who chased the Sun.