The Eternal Love Story of Qixi Festival: China’s Valentine’s Day Explained

LingLing
Aug 27, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Sep 3, 2025

The Qixi Festival (七夕节), often called Chinese Valentine’s Day (七夕情人节), is one of the most romantic traditional festivals in China. Celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, it is rooted in the ancient legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl (牛郎织女), a love story that has touched hearts for centuries. The festival is a time to honor love, longing, and reunion — and today it continues to inspire poetry, cultural traditions, and modern celebrations of romance.

The Story Behind the Qixi Festival

The Weaver Girl (织女), a celestial maiden who wove the clouds, fell in love with the humble Cowherd (牛郎) from the mortal world. Their love was pure and deep, but it defied heavenly rules. When the Queen Mother of Heaven (王母娘娘) discovered their secret marriage, she separated them by drawing a silver river across the sky — the Milky Way. Moved by their devotion, however, she allowed them to reunite once a year, on the 7th night of the 7th lunar month. On this night, magpies (喜鹊) form a bridge with their wings, letting the lovers meet. This timeless tale gave rise to the Qixi Festival, symbolizing eternal love despite hardship and distance.

You can enjoy the full story in my book Chinese Stories for Language Learners: Elementary Volume 1, part of my Chinese Stories Series, designed for readers who love Chinese folktales, idioms, proverbs, and extensive reading about both ancient and modern China.

The Romantic Atmosphere of the Qixi Festival

Unlike many grand and lively festivals, Qixi has always carried a gentle, tender atmosphere, filled with love and quiet wishes under the summer night sky. Across both ancient and modern China, some of the most popular traditions include:

Star Gazing (观星) – On the night of Qixi, people look up at the starry sky, especially Vega (织女星, named after the Weaver Girl) and Altair (牛郎星, named after the Cowherd). These two stars, separated by the Milky Way, appear closest together on this night, symbolizing the lovers’ reunion. Couples and singles alike gaze at the stars and make wishes for lasting love and happiness.
Worshiping the Weaver Girl (拜织女) – In ancient China, young women would set up tables with offerings of fruits, flowers, incense, and pastries, praying to Zhinü (织女) for wisdom, skill in needlework, and a happy marriage. Many also tested their embroidery skills, hoping to be blessed with talent and good fortune in love.
Exchanging Gifts (交换礼物) – In both ancient and modern times, couples exchange love tokens, gifts, or even special fruits. Traditionally, fruits like melons and dates symbolized fertility and sweetness, while a popular festive food is Qiaoguo (巧果), a fried sweet pastry made from flour, oil, and honey. The word “Qiao” (巧 qiǎo) means “skill,” but also sounds like “bridge” (桥 qiáo ), symbolizing the magpie bridge that reunites the lovers.

In modern China, Qixi has also become a popular day to propose or get married. In my book Chinese Conversations for Intermediate, Jamie proposes to his girlfriend Sufei on Qixi — using playful and sweet language that reflects real-life modern Chinese conversations:

This kind of wordplay may sound unusual to some foreign learners, but in daily Chinese it is both charming and natural — many Chinese girls love these “cute” and humorous expressions of love.

The Poem for Qixi Festival

Nothing expresses romance better than classical Chinese poetry. For centuries, poets have turned the legend of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl into verse. The most famous poem of all is by Song dynasty poet Qin Guan (秦观):

鹊桥仙 · The Magpie Bridge

The final two lines — “If love is ever steadfast, our hearts stay together, day and night (两情若是久长时, 又岂在朝朝暮暮 )” — are still widely quoted in modern China, especially by couples in long-distance relationships.

This timeless poem not only captures the essence of Qixi — the pain of parting, the beauty of reunion, and the endurance of true love — but also reflects the poet Qin Guan’s own story. He wrote it on a Qixi night for his beloved, who lived far away, echoing the bittersweet fate of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl. You can read more about this poem, the background and their full love story in my book Chinese Stories for Language Learners: Intermediate Volume 1.

A Festival of Eternal Love

The Qixi Festival is more than just a tale of star-crossed lovers. It reflects values of devotion, resilience, and hope that continue to inspire people today. Whether you are gazing at the summer stars, enjoying seasonal fruits, or simply reflecting on love and longing, may this Qixi Festival bring warmth to your heart.

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