Ancient Love Story: The Qixi Festival
It is said that in the heavens, there was a star known as the Weaver Girl (Zhinü) and another called the Cowherd (Niulang). Zhinü and Niulang fell deeply in love, their hearts perfectly in sync. However, the laws of heaven strictly prohibited romantic relationships, especially those pursued in private. Zhinü was the daughter of the Jade Emperor and Yaoji, so the Queen Mother of the West banished Niulang to the mortal realm as punishment and forced Zhinü to continuously weave cloud brocade as her penance.
One day, several celestial maidens pleaded with the Queen Mother to let them visit the Jade Lotus Pond in the human world. The Queen Mother, in a rare good mood, agreed to their request. Seeing Zhinü so melancholic day after day, the other maidens also petitioned for her to join them. Feeling pity for her granddaughter, the Queen Mother permitted Zhinü to go but instructed them to return quickly.
After Niulang was banished, he was born into a farming family and named “Niulang,” which means “cowherd.” After his parents passed away, he lived with his brother and sister-in-law. However, they treated him very poorly and decided to split the family property. They only gave Niulang an old ox and a broken cart, keeping everything else for themselves, and then separated from him.
From then on, Niulang and the old ox depended on each other for survival. What Niulang didn’t know was that the old ox was actually the Golden Ox Star from the heavens. One day, the old ox suddenly spoke, saying to Niulang, “Niulang, today you should go to the Jade Lotus Pond. There will be some celestial maidens bathing there. Take the red fairy robe; the maiden wearing it will become your wife.” Niulang was astonished and delighted to hear the ox speak and asked, “Brother Ox, can you really speak? Are you telling the truth?” The old ox nodded, and Niulang stealthily hid in the reeds by the pond, waiting for the celestial maidens to arrive.
Soon, the maidens indeed floated down to the pond, gracefully disrobing and leaping into the clear water. Niulang quickly ran out from the reeds and took the red fairy robe. When the maidens saw someone approaching, they hurriedly put on their clothes and flew away like birds, except for the maiden without her robe, who was none other than Zhinü. Seeing that a young man had taken her robe, Zhinü was both ashamed and anxious, but she had no way to escape. At that moment, Niulang approached her and said that she must agree to become his wife before he would return her robe. When Zhinü looked closely, she realized that Niulang was the very man she had longed for day and night—her beloved Niulang. Blushing, she agreed to marry him. And so, Zhinü became Niulang’s wife.
After they married, Niulang farmed while Zhinü weaved. They loved each other deeply and lived a very happy and fulfilling life. Soon, they had a son and a daughter, both of whom were very adorable. However, when the Queen Mother learned of this, she was furious and immediately sent celestial guards to capture Zhinü and bring her back to the heavenly court for punishment.
One day, Zhinü was cooking when Niulang rushed back from the fields, his eyes red and swollen. He told Zhinü, “Brother Ox has died. Before he passed, he told me that after his death, I should skin him and keep his hide. One day, if I wear it, I’ll be able to fly up to the heavens.” Zhinü was puzzled by this but understood that the old ox was actually the Golden Ox Star, who had been banished to the mortal realm for speaking in defense of Niulang. She wondered how the ox could have suddenly died. Nevertheless, she had Niulang skin the ox and bury him properly.
Just then, a fierce wind blew from the sky as celestial soldiers descended from above, seizing Zhinü without a word and flying her back to the heavens.
As they flew, Zhinü heard Niulang’s voice calling out, “Zhinü, wait for me!” Turning back, she saw Niulang wearing the ox hide, carrying their two children in baskets. Slowly, the distance between them narrowed, and Zhinü could clearly see the faces of her children, who were reaching out their arms and crying out, “Mother!” It seemed that Niulang and Zhinü were about to be reunited. But at that very moment, the Queen Mother arrived on a cloud. She took the golden hairpin from her hair and drew a line between them. Instantly, a vast river of stars surged between Zhinü and Niulang, making it impossible for them to cross.
Zhinü, standing on one side of the river, wept bitterly as she looked across at Niulang and their children. Niulang and the children also cried their hearts out. Their anguished cries, especially the children’s repeated calls for their mother, were so heartrending that even the celestial maidens and gods watching from the sidelines felt sorrowful and pitying. Seeing this, the Queen Mother was somewhat moved by the steadfast love between Niulang and Zhinü. She finally agreed to let Niulang and the children stay in the heavens and allowed them to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
The legend of Niulang and Zhinü is a beautiful, timeless love story passed down through the ages. It is said that on the night of the Qixi Festival, if you look up at the sky, you can see Niulang and Zhinü meeting on the Milky Way. Some believe that under the melon and fruit trellises, you can even overhear their tender conversations as they reunite in the heavens. On this romantic night, girls would set up offerings of seasonal fruits under the bright moon, praying to the goddess for wisdom and skill in needlework, as well as for a happy marriage. In the past, marriage was a matter of utmost importance for a woman’s lifelong happiness, so countless lovers would pray to the stars on this night, hoping for a blessed union.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
