In his article, “The examples of the liaison between the Chinese and Indian literature”, Mr. Wen-kai Mi mentioned that although there are so many Chinese stories and literature are affected by Indian Buddhism, one exception is found that Indian culture is affected by Chinese culture. This is the moon hare story. Mr. Mi argues that moon hare story begins in China, then spread to Indian. Unfortunately, the materials that Mr. Mi uses are limited to Chinese sources only, but not Sanskrit and Pāli texts. In terms of Sanskrit, apart from the term „candra‟, there is also another word „śaśin‟ (the harebearer) represented the moon. In the Pāli Jātaka, No. 316, Buddha was a virtuous hare whom sacrifice its body for the offering to a brahman. The two evidences are not late than the first Century. Therefore, it seems not possible the moon hare story is from China.However, according to Chinese archaeological evidence, in the Tshape painting found in King Ma‟s Mound, there is sun on the upper right and moon on the upper left. A three-toe crow stands in the sun, while a toad and a hare in the moon. The painting is probably as early as the first century. Therefore, we have a problem, which moon hare story is earlier, Chinese or Indian? The present paper will investigate the origin of the moon hare story through Chinese, Sanksrit, as well as Pāli materials.
