嫦娥奔月 | Moon Fairy

Micron pen & Digital

11in*17in

In 2022 there was a video of a woman in chains. She was the mother of 8 children. Her husband was famous for being the father of 8 children. The woman’s name is Yang. She was trafficked across multiple provinces in China and sold to multiple owners. She developed schizophrenia and periodontitis, a serious infection of the gums. The local government claimed that Yang and Dong’s marriage was legal, and Dong could look after her and take care of her. The official government briefings claimed Yang was chained up for her protection. Public backlash changed the tone of the official statements—Dong was arrested and Yang was sent to a hospital. Human trafficking is a serious issue in Xuzhou.

Chang’E is similar to Yang as they are both women stolen to a hostile foreign land due to the greed and violence of others. Both stories of maltreatment were rationalized and excused by people through shifting narratives towards blaming the victims—framing Chang’e ’s story as punishment of her supposed greed and claiming Yang had to be restrained and treated inhumanely due to her mental illness.