Qixi, the Chinese lovers' festival and the bridge of magpies

Long before 14 February became a global festival, China already celebrated a night dedicated to lovers. It is called Qixi, «the evening of the seventh», and falls on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, usually in August. At its heart lies one of the best-loved legends of East Asia: that of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, two lovers separated by the sky who may meet only once a year.

Two stars on either side of the Silver River

The myth arose from observing the summer sky. The Weaver Girl, Zhinü, corresponds to the star Vega, in the constellation Lyra; the Cowherd, Niulang, to Altair, in Aquila. Between them flows the Milky Way, which the Chinese called the Silver River. Already the Shijing, the Book of Odes, a collection of poems from the Zhou era, mentions the Weaver and the Cowherd as celestial figures, though without the full love story.

The story appears clearly in the Han period. One of the famous Nineteen Old Poems describes the Weaver Girl weeping and unable to finish her cloth, separated from her beloved by a clear and shallow river. Over the following centuries the tale was enriched with details and variants, until it became a popular legend known in every region of China.

The legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl

According to the most widespread version, the Weaver Girl was a heavenly daughter who wove the clouds and colours of the sky. Coming down to earth, she met a poor cowherd, married him and had two children with him. When the gods discovered the union, they took her back to heaven; the Cowherd tried to follow her, but the Queen Mother of the West drew with her hairpin the celestial river that separated them for ever.

Moved by the lovers' grief, the birds stepped in. The myth tells that every year, on the seventh night of the seventh month, flocks of magpies spread their wings to form a bridge across the Milky Way, so that the two spouses can meet. A popular belief held that the rain falling that night was the couple's tears, happy to be reunited or sad at having to part.

Rites of skill and spread across Asia

In ancient times Qixi was above all a festival for girls, also called Qiqiao, «begging for skill». Young women paid homage to the Weaver Girl, asking her for dexterity in sewing and embroidery, qualities considered important for marriage. Traditional pastimes included needle-threading contests by moonlight and offerings of fruit and sweets laid out in the open air.

The festival spread throughout East Asia. In Japan it became Tanabata, celebrated on 7 July or in August depending on the region, with strips of coloured paper on which wishes are written and hung on bamboo; the one in Sendai is among the most famous. In Korea it is called Chilseok, and the couple take the names Gyeonu and Jiknyeo. In contemporary China Qixi has once again become chiefly the lovers' festival.

Looking at the summer sky and recognising Vega and Altair on either side of the Milky Way means finding the setting of this thousand-year-old legend. Few love traditions have such a direct link with astronomy: a myth that can still be pointed out with a finger on any clear August night, from cities and countryside alike.