Qixi Festival: A love story written in the stars

Editor's note: The Qixi Festival, often called China's Valentine's Day and also known as the Double Seventh Festival, falls on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar. In 2025, it will be celebrated on Aug. 29.

Qixi is one of China's most poetic and heartfelt celebrations. It is based on a romantic folktale about two star-crossed lovers, the cowherd Niulang and the weaver girl Zhinu. The festival combines mythology, astronomy, traditional crafts and expressions of love, making it a cultural event unique to China.

AI-generated image depicting the legendary lovers Niulang and Zhinu meeting on the magpie bridge under the full moon, inspired by the Qixi Festival. [Photo by Liu Ziying/China.org.cn]

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