Editor's Note:

It is MKS sportsthe time of year again as the country's atmosphere becomes romantic and people dream of love, the moon and the Milky Way. We know it as the Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day. Falling on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, it arrives on Saturday in 2024. From ancient mythology about Niulang and Zhinü to numerous romantic cultural stories, no one can resist the joy of joining the celebration of love and sharing a unique moment with the one you love. 

Global Times reporters Ji Yuqiao, Chen Xi and Sun Langchen bring you this special issue to help ­understand how and why Chinese celebrate this day even as many customs are changing with the times. As Chinese traveled around the world, the festival has also evolved in different ways. 

It all starts with a tragic but beautiful story...

Newlyweds display their marriage certificates on the day of the Qixi Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Photo: VCG

Recited for centuries:

Immortal at the Magpie Bridge

Qin Guan (Song Dynasty)

Clouds float like works of art;

Stars shoot with grief at heart.

Across the Milky Way the Cowherd meets the Maid.

When autumn's golden wind embraces dew of jade,

All the love scenes on Earth, however many, fade.

Their tender love flows like a stream;

This happy date seems but a dream.

Can they bear a separate homeward way?

If love between both sides can last for aye,

Why need they stay together night and day?


Modern perspectives:

As a vital part of China's cultural heritage, the Qixi Festival naturally serves as a rich source of creative inspiration. Incorporating the essence of the festival into films has resonated emotionally with audiences, driving the internal momentum for cultural inheritance.

—— Zhang Peng, a film researcher at Nanjing University's National Research Center of Cultural Industries

In today's context, the traditional significance of "qiqiao" has been revitalized. Emphasizing craftsmanship, skill, and wisdom, the festival has also transformed into a platform for innovative designs and a showcase for comparing and celebrating artistic techniques, all in service of modern society.

—— Xiao Fang, head of the Department of Anthropology and Folklore Studies at Beijing Normal University



A few days away from the Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine's Day, a 30-something couple living in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, have settled on how they want to celebrate.

Wan Fang couldn't remember whether she saw the ad regarding the festival at a subway station or when scrolling through a website, but finally, she decided to purchase two tickets for a concert titled "Love You until 700 Years Old," giving the night a strong sense of ceremony.

The Qixi Festival, which falls on Saturday this year, is good news for Chinese couples like Wan and her husband, who have to devote most of their time to work or family affairs on weekdays. For them, the festival is a golden opportunity to lose themselves in a world for lovers.

With love at its peak, it is a time when lovers enter the sacred bond of matrimony hand in hand. In this romantic atmosphere built for lovers, many choose to register for marriage amid the festival, pursuing a jolly-sounding implication of happiness brought by romantic relations.

Notably, marriage registration offices in different places around China have announced they will be extending service hours on Saturday, usually a day off for these offices, so as to meet and also spur public demand for marriage registration.

The ancient festival seems to have retained its luster through a historical stormy path. Originating from the worship of the stars and Heaven, the traditional festival, which has been passed down for over 2,000 years and was inscribed to China's National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006, has evolved over the centuries, maintaining its value by virtue of its dynamic nature.

How it started

The Qixi Festival traces its origins to a classic love story from the era of the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220).

As the most romantic traditional Chinese festival, the Qixi Festival has a rich historical background rooted in Chinese mythology, specifically the ancient tale of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.

The story of the Cowherd, named Niulang, and the Weaver Girl, Zhinü, is a romantic legend that has been passed down from generation to generation. According to the legend, Niulang was a mortal cowherd who fell in love with Zhinü, a celestial being and the daughter of the Jade Emperor and Xiwangmu, or Queen Mother of the West. 

They fell deeply in love and got married, but their union was forbidden by the heavenly authorities since they came from different realms. As a punishment, they were separated and placed on opposite sides of the Milky Way, only allowed to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

On this day, it is said that magpies form a bridge across the Milky Way, enabling Niulang and Zhinü to reunite for a brief moment. This annual meeting symbolizes the enduring love and commitment between the couple, despite the challenges they face.

Evolving over time, the festival has become a day for lovers to express their affection and commitment to each other. Traditional customs include women praying for skillful hands, as the Weaver Girl is a symbol of weaving excellence, and for a harmonious and enduring marriage. In modern times, the festival is often celebrated with gifts, romantic outings, and expressions of love, much like Valentine's Day in the West.

The Qixi Festival is not only a celebration of love but also a reflection of the Chinese reverence for the stars and the cosmos. It is a time to appreciate the beauty of the night sky, the legend of the Milky Way, and the romantic tale that has captivated hearts for centuries. 

As the moon wanes and the stars twinkle brightly on this special night, the Qixi Festival serves as a reminder of the power of love to transcend boundaries and endure through time.

People enjoy themselves at a music festival celebrating the Qixi Festival in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. Photo: VCG

How it was celebrated

The festival is a celebration steeped in customs and traditions that honor love, handicrafts, and beauty. Among the key traditions is "qiqiao," or "begging for skills," in which young women showcase their domestic abilities, particularly in needlework. On this day, they might undertake tasks such as threading a needle in dim light or crafting delicate items, hoping to be blessed with enhanced dexterity and wisdom for a better life.

Another intriguing custom involves the appreciation of spiders. Women would place small items like paper or silk near a spider overnight, then check the next morning for any webbing. Finding a web was believed to be a sign of skillful weaving, symbolizing the influence of Zhinü, the celestial weaver, and wishes for improved craftsmanship.

While many traditions have faded over time, some continue to thrive. 

"Nowadays people in Longnan, Northwest China's Gansu Province, still sing for seven days and eight nights to celebrate the festival," Xiao Fang, head of the Department of Anthropology and Folklore Studies at Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times. 

This has evolved into the annual "Xihe Qiqiao Festival," one of the most well-preserved and longest-standing Qixi Festival folk activities in China. Renowned for its long heritage, simple yet profound lyrics, spectacular performances, and large participation, the Xihe Qiqiao Festival was included on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List in 2008.

Since the essence of the festival is love and happiness, modern ways of celebrating it also includes young couples sitting out under the clear night sky to observe the Cowherd and Weaver Girl stars (Altair and Vega). 

"Many places even decorate local bridges to resemble the 'Magpie Bridge,' and young men and women cross these decorated bridges, illuminated with lights, to experience the romantic reunion of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl and to embrace the spirit of their faithful love," Li Hanqiu, a veteran folk custom expert, told the Global Times. 

Special snacks also play a role in the celebration. The "qiaoguo," a delicately shaped and fried pastry, symbolizes dexterity and skill. Families prepare and share these pastries, which not only align with the festival's focus on craftsmanship but also emphasize themes of love, creativity, and blessings.

Traditions vary across regions. In southwestern China, young women dye their nails with balsam flower juice, turning them a reddish color. This practice serves both as personal adornment and a celebration of the festival's romantic and skillful aspects, honoring beauty and femininity.

The Qixi Festival is a vibrant tapestry of customs that celebrate the values of love, skill, and beauty, making it a cherished occasion that honors traditional values and romantic legends.

How it brightens the present

As the festival approaches this year, a variety of events have been launched around China to echo the pursuit of romance among young people and meet the demand of couples seeking to enjoy an atmosphere of romantic love. 

Diverse kinds of performances themed on romantic relations are being held at different venues. Concerts, music festivals and dramas are common means of celebration, while some more novel entertainment activities have also captured the hearts of young couples. For example, a room escape venue in Beijing recently launched a new experience involving love and confusion for couples, cramming them into the same locked room that can only be opened after they solve puzzles involving a fictional love story.

Li explained that the traditional festival emphasizes the value of love, and "has significant practical significance for promoting the ideals of love and marriage that focus on personal virtues rather than power and money," which has been crucial for modern marriage.

The Qixi Festival has been revived by creative celebrations and also in films and TV works, another kind of modern interpretation and extension of the cultural significance of the traditional festival.

Chinese animated film White Snake: Afloat, adapted from a Chinese legend centered around the romance between Xu Xian, a respected doctor, and a female snake spirit named Bai Suzhen, will grace the silver screen amid the arrival of the festival.

Sun Chengjian, deputy director of the Film and Television Research Institute at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the Qixi Festival film season offers a unique opportunity for the film industry to contribute to cultural preservation while also innovating and adapting to modern sensibilities.  

He mentioned that films are an art form that captures emotions and dreams. During the special occasion of the festival, films like White Snake: Afloatnot only garner widespread support from Chinese audiences but also ensure that the contemporary value of traditional ethnic festivals is fully realized.

The impact of the festival has broken boundaries and expanded to international communities. Like in Singapore, the local government and corporations are holding cultural activities such as carnivals to celebrate the Qixi Festival this year, developing a broader space for the public to learn more about the festival through diverse channels.