Legend goes that there was an epidemic in North China long ago, and doctors could not do anything about it. So the Moon Goddess sent her rabbit to earth to treat the disease. However, because the rabbit is white and the color white was actually related to death in the past, people did not allow the rabbit to enter their houses to treat the disease. The rabbit realized it and went to the temple to borrow the outfit of the saints there. That's where the Rabbit God's look originates from. People began to revere him after that.

Nonetheless, there are other legends with all of them holding the same reverence to the Rabbit God. Historical records show it first appeared at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and thrived in the middle of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Almost all households, the royal family and common citizens alike, were offered sacrifice to the Rabbit God during the Mid-autumn Festival. Of the figures we see today, the Rabbit God sits on a variety of things.

"The Rabbit God sits on different things ranging from Kylin, tiger, elephant, lotus, to peony. Lotus is typical to Kwan-yin, a Buddhist god, making the Rabbit God a more sacred figure, while peony symbolizes wealth. Kylin and tiger are typical auspicious animals in Chinese culture, all embodying the good wishes of the people."

Since the Rabbit God has been personalized throughout the ages, now there is also the Rabbit Goddess, who is supposed to be the spouse of the Rabbit God.

"People treat the Rabbit God as a person and so they created a wife for him. That is the Rabbit Goddess."

For Beijingers, the Rabbit God holds a special place in their hearts with many people who still worship it each day. Every mid-autumn festival hundreds of different Rabbit Gods are exhibited in Dongyue Temple for people to offer their sacrifice as part of the moon festival traditions.

Due to folk art form it is less popular than it once was. Hu Pengfei aims to make Tu'er Ye well known once again.

The Rabbit God originated from the people, so it should prevail with the people. My dream is to revive the Rabbit God to the level of its popularity in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and spread the manufacturing technique to as many people as possible.