Qixi Festival and the legend of Niulang Zhinv

Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine’s Day, is a traditional Chinese festival which celebrates the legend of the annual meeting between the mythological figures of the Cowherd (or Niulang 牛郎) and the Weaver Girl (or Zhinv織女).

As one of the most romantic festivals, Qixi Festival has deep meaning of love, separation and nostalgia. According to the legend, there was in ancient times a boy named Niulang, who was an orphan and was living a harsh life. His older brother and sister-in-law treated him badly and he only had one friend, his old buffalo.

While Niulang was living on the earth, seven fairy sisters, daughters of the Queen Mother, were living in heaven. One day the seven sisters decided to come to the earth. When they saw a river, they bathed there. Afterwards, Niulang’s buffalo suddenly started to speak and told Niulang about the seven sisters. Niulang came to the river and stole one of the fairy’s dress and when the girl discovered that her dress had disappeared, Niulang came to her and asked her to be his wife.

The young girl, Zhinv, had no doubt that Niulang was a good, honest and kind-hearted man and she accepted him right away. They two lived a happy life and had two children. However, when the Queen Mother found out about the marriage, she became furious and ordered Zhinv to immediately return to heaven.

The legend does not end here. When Niulang realized that Zhinv had returned to heaven, he took his two children and embarked for heaven with the help of his old buffalo. At this point, the Queen Mother took off one of her hairpins and created a river to separate the couple, however their loyalty touched the magpies, so they came to build a bridge for the two to meet.

Every year the Queen Mother was touched and later agreed that the two could meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. Every year on the same date, a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite the lovers for one day. This is why the festival is called Qixi Festival, or literally the Double Seventh Festival, and this year it falls today.

The love story between Niulang and Zhinv has been down passed from generation to generation since the Han Dynasty (206 BC – AD 220). Chinese literati have mentioned the legend of Niulang Zhinv in their works. Here, I would like to mention the well-known poem called “Immortal at the Magpie Bridge” (鵲橋仙·纖云弄巧) written during the Song Dynasty (AD 960 – AD 1279) by the poet Qin Guan (秦觀).

The poem describes the story of Niulang and Zhinv and their love, which is characterized by joy and sorrow. The poem harmoniously merges heaven, earth with human being, creating a long-lasting infinite feelings and thoughts. Below is Qin Guan’s poem with an English version translated by Peking University professor and scholar Xu Yuanchong (許淵沖).

鵲橋仙·纖云弄巧

纖云弄巧，

飛星傳恨，

銀漢迢迢暗度。

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。

Immortal at the Magpie Bridge

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;

Their happy date seems but a dream.

How can they bear a separate homeward way?

If love between both sides can last for aye,

Why need they stay together night and day?

Qin Guan’s poem brilliantly describes the significance of love, the sufferance caused by Niulang and Zhinv’s separation, but also the joy of meeting at least once a year. Still today this legend, told through different variations, is deeply rooted in Chinese culture and in other cultures of East Asia, as the story profoundly touches the heart of people, allowing us to reflect about not only the power of love, but also the values of loyalty and commitment as well as the sublime beauty of longing for someone.

In this romantic day, with whom are you spending/would you like to spend your Qixi with? Have you found your Niulang/Zhinv or are you thinking of someone you fell in love?

The author is a graduate of China Studies and International Relations at Peking University and the London School of Economics. Currently, he is working in the fields of development and public policy.