Qixi Festival
The Qixi Festival honors the poignant love story of the Cowherd (牛郎 Niú Láng) and the Weaver Girl (织女 Zhī Nǚ). The legend recounts the romance between Zhinü (the weaver girl, represented by the star Vega) and Niulang (the cowherd, represented by the star Altair). Although deeply in love, their relationship was forbidden, and they were exiled to opposite sides of the celestial river, symbolizing the Milky Way.
The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl Myth
In Chinese mythology, seven heavenly goddesses once secretly descended to the mortal world for a nighttime adventure. While the sisters were bathing in a lake, a Cowherd nearby caught sight of one of them—a gifted weaver known for crafting vibrant clouds in the heavens. The two instantly fell in love, and the goddess chose to remain on Earth, eventually marrying the Cowherd and having two children with him.
However, for a goddess to wed a mortal was considered a grave offence. When the Goddess of Heaven discovered what had happened, she was furious and commanded the Weaver Girl to return to the heavens and resume her celestial weaving. With a heavy heart, the Weaver Girl had no choice but to comply, leaving the Cowherd behind in sorrow.
The Cowherd was heartbroken, unable to bear life without her. Seeing his anguish, his loyal ox suddenly spoke, telling him that if he sacrificed the ox and wore its hide, he would be able to ascend to heaven and reunite with his beloved. The ox’s selfless act allowed the couple to find each other once more, but the Goddess of Heaven, still enraged, created a vast river of stars to keep them apart forever. Moved by the couple’s unwavering love, a flock of magpies formed a bridge across the stars so the two could meet.
Even the Goddess of Heaven was eventually touched by their devotion. She permitted the Cowherd and their children to stay in the heavens, allowing the lovers to reunite once each year—on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
While different versions of this story exist, this is one of the most well-known. The legend is rooted in astrology, with the stars Altair and Vega—situated about 16 light-years apart on opposite sides of the Milky Way—representing the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. During the Qixi Festival, the stars appear to come closer in the sky, symbolizing the lovers' reunion. For generations, this timeless tale has stood as a symbol of love's ability to overcome all obstacles. In Chinese culture, magpies have also come to represent fidelity and marital happiness.
Once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite the lovers for a single day.
Historical Reference
Though there are many variations of the story,[1] the earliest-known reference to this famous myth dates back to a poem from the Classic of Poetry from over 2600 years ago:[3]
| 詩經·小雅·大東 … 維天有漢， 監亦有光。 跂彼織女， 終日七襄。 雖則七襄， 不成報章。 睆彼牽牛， 不以服箱。 … |
Classic of Poetry, Lesser Court Hymns, Poem 203 … In Heavens there is the Milky Way, It looks down and is bright; slanting is the Weaving Lady, during one day she is seven times removed. Although she is seven times removed, she does not achieve any interwoven pattern; brilliant is the Draught Ox, But one does not yoke into any carriage. … |
The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl originated from people’s worship of natural celestial phenomena, and later developed into the Qiqiao or Qixi Festival since the Han Dynasty.[5] It has also been celebrated as the Tanabata festival in Japan and the Chilseok festival in Korea.[6] In ancient times, women would make wishes to the stars of Vega and Altair in the sky during the festival, hoping to have a wise mind, a dexterous hand (in embroidery and other household tasks), and a good marriage.[7]
The story was selected as one of China's Four Great Folktales by the "Folklore Movement" in the 1920s—the others being the Legend of the White Snake, Lady Meng Jiang, and Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai—but Idema (2012) also notes that this term neglects the variations and therefore diversity of the tales, as only a single version was taken as the true version.
The story is referenced in various literary and popular cultural sources.
Literature
The tale has been alluded to in many literary works. One of the most famous was the poem by Qin Guan (秦观; 1049–1100) during the Song dynasty:
| 鵲橋仙 纖雲弄巧， 飛星傳恨， 銀漢迢迢暗渡。 金風玉露一相逢， 便勝卻人間無數。 柔情似水， 佳期如夢， 忍顧鵲橋歸路。 兩情若是久長時， 又豈在朝朝暮暮。 |
Meeting across the Milky way Through the varying shapes of the delicate clouds, the sad message of the shooting stars, a silent journey across the Milky Way. One meeting of the Cowherd and Weaver amidst the golden autumn wind and jade-glistening dew, eclipses the countless meetings in the mundane world. The feelings soft as water, the ecstatic moment unreal as a dream, how can one have the heart to go back on the bridge made of magpies? If the two hearts are united forever, why do the two persons need to stay together—day after day, night after night?[10] |
Du Fu(杜甫) (712–770) of the Tang dynasty wrote a poem about the heavenly river:
| 天河 常時任顯晦， 秋至輒分明。 縱被微雲掩， 終能永夜清。 含星動雙闕， 伴月落邊城。 牛女年年渡， 何曾風浪生。 |
The Heavenly River Most of the time it may be hidden or fully visible, but when autumn comes, it gets immediately bright. Even if covered over by faint clouds, in the long run it can be clear through the long night. Full of stars, it stirs by paired palace gates, moon’s companion, it sinks by a frontier fort. Oxherd and Weaver cross it every year, and when have storms ever arisen thereon? |
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