A CHINESE TRADITIONAL FESTIVAL ABOUT LOVE
In 2023, August 23 (the seventh day of the seventh month in China’s lunar calendar) is a traditional folk festival of China.
Indeed, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month in every year is China’s Double Seventh Festival (Chinese name: Qixi). Double Seventh Festival is derived from the ancient times, gets popularized in the Western Han Dynasty and flourishes in Song Dynasty.
In China, there are many legends about the Double Seventh Festival. The most famous one is about a romantic story about Niulang and Zhinv: Zhinv is a fairy from the heavens, and Niulang is a cowherd on the earth. One day, they fall in love with each other. But, their love is opposed by the fairy’s mother -- Xi Wang Mu ( a queen in many Chines myths), for the difference in their statuses. The couple are separated. They never give up and struggle for the reunion though there are many difficulties and challenges. Finally, the fairy’s mother is moved by their firm love. The couple are allowed to meet each other on Queqiao (the Magpie Bridge -- a bridge formed by thousands of magpies), at the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of each year.
Double Seventh Festival is a tradition and festival about love and blessing. And, on May 20 of 2006, the Festival is included in China’s first list of national-grade intangible cultural heritages, by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.
Text source: the Internet and Chinese traditional myth
