TheQixiFestival,alsoknownastheQiqiaoFesti-val,isaChinesefestivalthatcelebratestheannu-almeetingofthecowherdandweavergirlinChi-nesemythology.Itfallsontheseventhdayofthe7thmonthontheChinesecalendarItissometim-escalledtheDoubleSeventhFestival,theChineseValentine'sDay,theNightofSevens,ortheMagp-ieFestival.Thefestivaloriginatedfromtheromanticlegendoftwolovers,ZhinüandNiulang,whoweretheweav-ermaidandthecowherd,respectively.ThetaleofTheWeaverGirlandtheCowherdhasbeencelebra-tedintheQixiFestivalsincetheHanDynasty.Theearliest-knownreferencetothisfamousmythdatesbacktoover2600yearsago,whichwastoldinapoemfromtheClassicofPoetry.TheQixifestivalinsp-iredTanabatafestivalinJapanandChilseokfestivalinKorea.ThegeneraltaleisaboutalovestorybetweenZhinü(theweavergirl,symbolizingVega)andNiulang(thecowherd,symbolizingAltair).Theirlovewasnotallowed,thustheywerebanishedtooppositesidesoftheSilverRiver.Onceayear,onthe7thdayofthe7thlunarmonth,aflockofmagpieswouldformabridgetoreunitetheloversforoneday.Ayoungcowherd,henceNiulang,cameacrossabeautifulgirl—Zhinü,theGoddess'sseventhdaughter,whohadjustescapedfromboringheaventolookforfun.

ZhinüsoonfellinlovewithNiulang,andtheygotmarriedwithouttheknowledgeoftheGoddess.

Zhinüprovedtobeawonderfulwife,andNiulangtobeagoodhusband.Theylivedhappilyandhadtwochildren.ButtheGoddessofHeaven(orinsomeversions,Zhinü'smother)foundoutthatZhinü,afairygirl,hadmarriedameremortal.TheGoddesswasfuriousandorderedZhinütoreturntoheaven.(Alternatively,theGoddessforcedthefairybacktoherformerdutyofweavingcolorfulclouds,atasksheneglectedwhilelivingonearthwithamortal.)OnEarth,Niulangwasveryupsetthathiswifehaddisappeared.Suddenly,hisoxbegantotalk,tellinghimthatifhekilleditandputonitshide,hewouldbeabletogouptoHeaventofindhiswife.Cryingbitterly,hekilledtheox,putontheskin,andcarriedhistwobelovedchildrenofftoHeaventofindZhinü.TheGoddessdiscoveredthisandwasveryangry.Takingoutherhairpin,theGoddessscratchedawideriverintheskytoseparatethetwoloversforever,thusformingtheMilkyWaybetweenAltairandVega.Zhinümustsitforeverononesideoftheriver,sadlyweavingonherloom,whileNiulangwatchesherfromafarwhiletakingcareoftheirtwochildren(hisflankingstarsβandγAquilaeorbytheirChinesenamesHèGu1andHèGu3).Butonceayearallthemagpiesintheworldwouldtakepityonthemandflyupintoheaventoformabridge(鵲橋,"thebridgeofmagpies",QueQiao)overthestarDenebintheCygnusconstellationsotheloversmaybetogetherforasinglenight,whichistheseventhnightoftheseventhmoon.

Intheevening,peoplesitoutdoorstoobservethestars.Chinesegrannieswouldsaythat,ifyoustandunderagrapevine['ɡre?pva?n],youcanprobablyoverhearwhatZhiNuandNiuLangaretalkingabout.《鵲橋仙》（宋）秦觀纖云弄巧，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！

FairyOfTheMagpieBridgeAmongthebeautifulclouds,overtheheavenlyriver,crossestheweavingmaiden.Anightofrendezvous,acrosstheautumnsky,surpassesisjoyonearth.Momentsoftenderloveanddream,sosadtoleavethemagpiebridge.Eternallovebetweenustwo,shallwithstandthetimeapartOneofthemostfamouspoemsaboutthe"Qixi"legendwaswrittenbyQinGuanofintheSongDynasty(960-1279).（1）中國農歷第七個月的第七個夜晚theseventheveningoftheseventhmonthonChineselunarcalendar（2）中國的情人節ChineseValentine'sDay（3）雙七節DoubleSevenFestival（4）喜鵲節MagpieFestival（5）七夕節QixiFestival/ChineseValentine'sDay（6）月老廟matchmakertemples（7）鵲橋abridgeofmagpies（8）銀河theMilkyWay（9）織女星Vega（10）牛郎星/牽牛星Altair（11）牛郎和織女NiuLangandZhiNu/CowherdandtheWeaverMaid（12）王母娘娘theQueenofHeaven（13）玉皇大帝theEmperorofHeaven（14）民間故事Chinesefolktales?ComparedwithlovestoriesinWesternlegends,thestoryofNiuLangandZhiNuseemsnotasintenseorpassionate