Legend has it that there is a Vega star and a Altair star in the sky. The weaver girl and the morning glory love each other deeply, and their hearts are connected. However, it is strictly forbidden for men and women to fall in love. Zhinv is the daughter of the Queen Mother, so the Queen Mother banished Niulang to the mortal world and ordered Zhinv to continuously weave cloud brocade as punishment. The weaver girl’s job is to use a magical silk thread to weave layers of beautiful clouds on a weaving machine. As time and seasons change, the colors of these clouds also change, which is called the “heavenly robe”. Since Niulang was banished to the mortal world, the Zhinv often shed tears and sadly missed it. She sat by the loom, constantly weaving magnificent cloud brocade, hoping to move the Queen Mother and make Niulang return to the heavenly court as soon as possible.
One day, several fairies requested the Queen Mother to visit the Azure Lotus Pond in the mortal world. The Queen Mother was in a good mood today, so she agreed to them. They saw the Zhinv with a worried expression all day long, so they begged the queen mother together to let her go too. The Queen Mother felt sorry for her punished daughter, so she allowed them to go as soon as possible, but asked them to return as soon as possible. It is said that after being demoted, Niulang was born into a farmer’s family and named Cowherd. After his parents passed away, he lived with his older brother and sister-in-law. The elder brother and sister-in-law were very strict with the cowherd and prepared to split the family with him, leaving only an old cow and a run down car for him. The rest of the property was occupied by the elder brother and sister-in-law, and then they broke off their relationship with the cowherd. From then on, the cowherd and the old cow relied on each other for survival. They worked hard in the wilderness, cultivating land and building houses. After one or two years of hard work, they managed to establish a small home and barely make ends meet. However, apart from the speechless old cow, there was only the cowherd in the lonely home, living a rather lonely life. The Cowherd didn’t know that the old cow was actually the Golden Bull Star in the sky.
On this day, the old cow suddenly spoke up. It said to the Niulang , “Niulang , go to the Blue Lotus Pond today. There are some fairies taking a bath there. Hide that red fairy robe, and the fairy wearing it will become your wife.” The Niulang was surprised and happy to hear that the old cow could speak, and asked, “Big Bull, do you really know how to speak? Are you telling the truth or falsehood?” The old cow nodded, and the Niulang quietly hid in the reeds next to the Blue Lotus Pond, waiting for the arrival of the fairies. Not long after, the fairies arrived gracefully, took off their light clothes, and jumped into the clear stream. The Niulang walked out of the reeds and took a red fairy robe. When the fairies saw someone rushing over, they hurriedly put on their clothes and flew away like birds. There was only one fairy who couldn’t escape without clothes, and she was the Zhinv. Zhinv discovered that her fairy clothes had been taken away by a young man, feeling both ashamed and anxious, but powerless. At this moment, the Niulang walked up and told her that if she agreed to marry him, he would return her clothes. Upon closer inspection, Zhinv realized that the Niulang was the one she had been longing for, so she shyly agreed to him. So, Zhinv became the wife of the Niulang.
After they got married, the man worked and the woman wove, loving each other and living a very happy and fulfilling life. Not long after, they welcomed a son and a daughter, who were very lovely. The Niulang and the Zhinv thought they could hold hands for a lifetime and grow old together. However, upon learning of this, the Queen Mother was furious and immediately dispatched the Heavenly Immortal Maiden to bring the Zhinv back to the Heavenly Court for questioning. That day, the Zhinv was cooking when the Niulang hurriedly returned with red and swollen eyes. He told the Zhinv, “Brother Niu has passed away. Before he died, he asked me to peel off his cowhide and keep it properly. If I put it on in the future, I can fly into the sky.” After hearing this, Zhinv felt confused. She understood that Brother Niu was the golden ox star in the sky. He had been banished to the heavenly court for saying a few words for the Niulang that had been banished to the mortal world. How could he suddenly pass away? So, Zhinv asked the Niulang to peel off the cowhide and bury the old cow properly. At this moment, a fierce wind suddenly rose, and heavenly soldiers and generals descended from the sky, mercilessly escorting Zhinv into the sky. Flying and flying, Zhinv heard the Niulang’s cry: “Zhinv, wait for me!” She turned around and saw the Niulang carrying two children on his shoulders, panting heavily in cowhide. Slowly, their distance gradually shortened, and the weaver girl could clearly see the cute appearance of the children. The children opened their arms and excitedly shouted ‘Mom’. As Niulang and Zhinv were about to reunite, the Queen Mother arrived with auspicious clouds. She pulled out the golden hairpin on her head and made a stroke between them. In an instant, a turbulent Milky Way lay between the two, insurmountable.
Zhinv looked at the Niulang and children across the Milky Way, crying out in agony. The Niulang and children also cried out in sorrow, and the scene was heartbreaking. The children kept calling out ‘Mom’, which made people’s hearts ache, and the watching fairies and gods couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. Upon seeing this scene, the Queen Mother was also moved by the steadfast love between Niulang and Zhinv, and decided to let Niulang and the children stay in the sky to meet once a year on July 7th. From then on, the Niulang and his children lived in the sky, gazing at each other across the Milky Way from Zhinv. In the autumn night sky, we can still see two bright stars on both sides of the Milky Way, sparkling with light, which are Vega and Altair. Accompanying the Altair is two small stars, symbolizing the son and daughter of the Niulang and the Weaver Girl.
On July 7th, the day when Niulang and Zhinv met, flocks of magpies flew in and built a bridge for them. On the Magpie Bridge, Niulang and Zhinv reunited! They looked at each other with deep affection, hugged their children, and had countless words to confide in their hearts, filled with endless emotions! Legend has it that on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month every year, if people listen quietly under the grape trellis, they can faintly hear the sound of immortal music, and Zhinv and Niulang are conversing affectionately. It’s really difficult to meet, not even harder. They are looking forward to their reunion on July 7th next year every day. Later, every year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, which is said to be the day when Niulang and Zhinv meet on the Magpie Bridge, the girls would look up at the stars under the moon in front of the flowers, searching for Niulang and Zhinv stars on both sides of the Milky Way. They hope to see this annual reunion and pray for a happy and fulfilling marriage like Zhinv. As a result, Qixi Festival is also called Qiqiao Festival.
