On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, Chinese couples celebrate Qixi — a festival often called Chinese Valentine’s Day. But the story behind it is far older and more poignant than Hallmark ever imagined. It is a tale of forbidden love between a mortal and a goddess, of separation across the Milky Way, and of a bridge of magpies that appears just once a year.
The Legend #
The story begins with Niulang, a poor cowherd who lived alone with his old ox. One day, seven celestial sisters descended from heaven to bathe in a lake. The ox — who was no ordinary animal but a former god punished to live as a beast — told Niulang to steal the clothes of the youngest sister, Zhinu (the Weaver Girl). Without her celestial robes, she could not return to heaven.
Niulang and Zhinu fell in love, married, and had two children. But the Queen Mother of Heaven discovered the marriage and was enraged. She sent soldiers to retrieve Zhinu, dragging her back across the sky. Niulang, carrying their children in baskets on a pole, chased after her — but the Queen Mother drew a river of stars between them with her hairpin: the Milky Way.
Moved by their grief, the magpies of the world took pity. Once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, they form a bridge across the Milky Way so the lovers can meet.
A Festival of Skills #
Traditionally, Qixi was not a romantic holiday but a festival of feminine skills. Zhinu was the goddess of weaving, and young women would demonstrate their embroidery and needlework, praying for skill and a good husband. They would thread needles by moonlight and float them in bowls of water — the way the needle settled on the surface was read as an omen.
Qixi Today #
In modern China, Qixi has been reborn as a romantic holiday — flowers, chocolates, dinner dates — much like Valentine’s Day in the West. But the old story endures. On a clear summer night, you can still look up at the Milky Way and find the two bright stars on either side: Vega (Zhinu) and Altair (Niulang), separated by a river of light, waiting for the magpies.