What is Qixi Festival and Why Do People Celebrate It?

Qixi Festival, also known as the Double Seventh Festival or Chinese Valentine’s Day, occurs annually on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, which falls on August 4 this year.

While it is not widely observed nowadays, the Qixi Festival has been observed for over 2,000 years and is based on a legendary romantic tale from the Han dynasty.

Qixi festival is celebrated to commemorate the annual reunion of Niulang, a mortal, and Zhinü, the goddess of weaving, whose romance is the subject of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, a traditional Chinese folk tale.

The festival is also significant for newlywed couples. The celebration represents a happy marriage and demonstrates that the married woman was valued by her new family.

In some places, people gather to construct a four-meter-long bridge out of large incense sticks and colourful flowers. They burn the bridge at night to bring happiness into their lives.