Qixi FestivalQixi Festival Origins

The name “Qixi” itself contains rich astronomical and calendrical information. “Qi” is the number seven, “xi” means night, and “Qixi” is the night of the seventh day of the seventh month. This seemingly simple name embodies the ancients’ profound understanding of numerology worship, astronomical observation, and calendrical calculation.

The Cultural Significance of “Seven”

“Seven” is an extremely special number in traditional Chinese culture. The ancients believed that “seven” symbolised “recurrence” and “return.” In the hexagram and line statements of the Book of Changes, “returning on the seventh day” appears — “recurring in its course, returning on the seventh day is the movement of heaven.” Seven days constitute a complete cycle, the basic rhythm of the operation of heaven and earth. The Book of Changes · Return Hexagram has the saying “returning on the seventh day,” meaning that when things develop to a certain point, they return to their origin, completing a cycle. This concept of “returning on the seventh day” deeply influenced the Chinese understanding of time cycles.

In addition, “seven” is also related to the life rhythms of the human body — humans have seven orifices; at seven, a girl’s teeth change and hair grows; at fourteen (two times seven), she reaches puberty and menstruation begins; at forty‑nine (seven times seven), menstruation ceases and fertility ends. The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon uses “seven” as the base number for the female life cycle, establishing a natural connection between “seven” and women. This medical concept provided a physiological philosophical basis for Qixi as the “Daughters’ Festival” or “Girls’ Festival.”

On the level of numerology worship, “seven” was regarded as an auspicious number. On the seventh day of the seventh month, both the month and the day are “seven” — a double seven, carrying special auspicious meaning in ancient numerology. As scholars have noted: “‘Seven’ in the Book of Changes signifies ‘recurrence’ and ‘return,’ hence the legend of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl uses ‘the seventh day of the seventh month’ as their meeting day.” This meaning of “recurrence” and “return” precisely echoes the narrative theme of the annual reunion of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl on the Magpie Bridge — the return after separation is the projection of the cosmic rhythm of “returning on the seventh day” onto human emotions.

From “Seventh Day of the Seventh Month” to “Qixi”

Before the name “Qixi” appeared, this festival was commonly called “the seventh day of the seventh month.” Before the mid‑Eastern Han, this day was called “the seventh day of the seventh month.” Ying Shao’s Comprehensive Meanings of Customs first used the term “Qixi,” abbreviating it. The Wei texts of the Han period, Chunqiu Mingli Xu, also contain records of “Qixi.” By the Wei‑Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, “Qixi” had become established as the festival’s proper name.

The evolution of “Qixi” from an abbreviation of “the seventh day of the seventh month” to the festival’s proper name marked the elevation of this day from an ordinary time point to a festival symbol with specific cultural meaning. “Xi” means night, emphasising the nocturnal character of the festival — the core activities of Qixi, whether worshipping stars, Qiqiao, or stargazing, all take place at night. On the night of the seventh day of the seventh month, Altair and Vega gaze at each other across the Milky Way, giving this night a unique ritual significance and romantic colour.

Various Names of the Qixi Festival

Qixi has had an extremely rich system of alternative names throughout history, precisely reflecting the diversity of its customs and the complexity of its cultural fusion. The festival was first called “Double Star Festival” or “Double Seven Festival”; from the Han dynasty it was called “Qixi Festival” or “Qiqiao Festival”; by the Tang and Song it was also called “Daughters’ Festival” or “Girls’ Festival.” “Double Star Festival” emphasises the two stars, Altair and Vega — the oldest astronomical source of the festival. “Double Seven Festival” emphasises the date — the seventh day of the seventh month, a double seven. “Qiqiao Festival” highlights the custom of praying to Vega for skills — the core folk activity of the festival. “Daughters’ Festival” or “Girls’ Festival” emphasises the festival’s close connection with women and girls — Qixi was a festival exclusively for young girls in ancient times. Each of these different names is a mark left on the festival by the long river of history, collectively forming the rich and diverse cultural face of Qixi.

The oldest origin of the Qixi Festival can be traced back to the ancient people’s observation and naming of the starry sky. Altair and Vega were originally celestial stars, and their mythology was born from star worship and imagination. This is the deepest and most essential cultural gene of Qixi.

The Astronomical Origin

The core imagery of Qixi — Altair and Vega — first appears in the Book of Songs · Minor Odes · Greater East. This poem is generally considered to be from about 2,700 years ago, written by a grand official living in the Tan state (around present‑day Jinan, Shandong) around 700 BCE. The poem reads:

> 维天有汉，监亦有光。 > 跂彼织女，终日七襄。 > 虽则七襄，不成报章。 > 睆彼牵牛，不以服箱。 > (There is the Heavenly River in the sky, which reflects light. That Weaver Girl stands there, walking back and forth seven times a day. Even though she walks seven times, she weaves no patterned cloth. That Bright Altair cannot be used to pull a cart.)

In the poem, “Han” is the Milky Way, and both “Weaver Girl” (织女) and “Altair” (牵牛) are star names. The poet uses romantic imagery to describe the Milky Way, Vega, and Altair: the Weaver Girl walks seven times a day but cannot weave cloth; the bright Altair cannot be used to pull a cart. In these few lines, the core elements of the later “Qixi” story — Vega, Altair, and the Milky Way — all appear. Although at this time there was no story connecting Vega and Altair, people had already begun to imagine Vega as a woman spinning and weaving, and Altair as a cowherd.

Altair and Vega are situated on opposite sides of the Milky Way — this is the geographical foundation of the Qixi story. Pre‑Qin astronomy already had knowledge of the relationship between Altair, Vega, and the seventh month. In the early autumn night, the Milky Way turns exactly north‑south, running directly overhead, so Altair and Vega on opposite sides of the river lie one east and one west, gazing at each other across the Milky Way. According to astronomical calculations, in the seventh lunar month — the transition between summer and autumn — Vega rises to its highest point of the year, shining brilliantly in the night sky. This special astronomical phenomenon made the seventh day of the seventh month the best time for observing Altair and Vega. The direct reason Qixi is set on the seventh day of the seventh month is that around this time, Vega is at its brightest and most dazzling in the night sky. The ancients closely linked astronomical observation with the timing of festivals, embodying the ancient wisdom of “observing the heavens to determine the seasons.”

In the pre‑Qin period, Altair and Vega were still just names of two star constellations, with no romantic narrative. But with continued observation and imagination, they gradually acquired personified characteristics — Vega was imagined as a diligent weaving woman, Altair as a cowherding farmer. This process of personification was a key step in the evolution of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend from “stars” to “myth.” As scholars have noted, the earliest records of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend “can be traced back to the Zhou dynasty.” The arrangement of two star constellations as a pair of lovers is a masterpiece of ancient Chinese imagination. From the naming of star constellations to the gestation of myth, this reflects the early people’s understanding of nature and their social conditions. This transformation from stars to figures reflects a basic characteristic of ancient Chinese mythological thinking: personifying and narrativising natural phenomena, using human experience and emotion to understand the order and operation of the cosmos.

The Legend of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl

The legend of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl is the most core cultural content of Qixi, and the fundamental reason for its romantic character. This legend underwent a long process of thousands of years, from pre‑Qin astronomical records to the birth of mythology in the Han dynasty, from the formation of the story in the Wei‑Jin to its secularisation in the Tang and Song. It serves as a bridge connecting Qixi’s “astronomical roots” with its “festival forms” — without this legend, Altair and Vega would be just two stars, and Qixi just an ordinary date; with this legend, the stars gained emotion, time gained warmth, and Qixi became Qixi.

From the star records of the Book of Songs · Greater East to the early Western Han, the core elements of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend gradually formed. During the Han dynasty, the legend was progressively refined. In the early Western Han capital of Chang’an, the love myth of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl began to take shape. According to scholars, the legend “was born in the early Western Han, and the Qixi festival customs also originated in the Western Han capital of Chang’an; Chang’an is the hometown of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend and the birthplace of Qixi culture.” The two stone statues of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl from the Western Han still exist in Chang’an’s Doumen, providing the earliest physical evidence of the personification of these stars. The existence of these statues powerfully demonstrates that in the Western Han period, Altair and Vega had already transformed from stars into mythological figures with human forms. The Book of Han · Treatise on Geography also records: “At Doumen in Chang’an, the two statues of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl are there.” This is the earliest physical evidence of the personification of Altair and Vega. During the Western Han, although the legend had already formed, it was still in its early stages. As scholars have noted, the Western Han court “changed the rebellious dominant thought of the folk Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend through the use of ‘Qiqiao’.”

During the Han dynasty, the apocryphal texts presented the mythological form of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl stars, an indispensable part of the legend’s evolution. In the worship of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl stars, there was not only the “farming” and “weaving” dual structure of traditional Chinese agrarian society, but also a latent reproductive worship significance attached to Vega. These social and cultural meanings deeply permeated the constantly evolving legend. The Han dynasty concept of celestial‑human correspondence and the apocryphal culture infused the legend with richer religious and philosophical meaning. Altair and Vega were not only celestial stars but also symbols of earthly couples, carrying the ancients’ profound reflections on marriage, family, and ethics.

During the Wei‑Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, the characters and plot of the legend were already fixed. The framework of the story — the Heavenly Emperor’s daughter Weaver Girl falling in love with the Cowherd, neglecting her weaving after marriage, the Heavenly Emperor’s anger in separating them, and their annual meeting — was essentially established in this period. From a research perspective, the Wei‑Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties were the key period when the Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend truly converged with Qixi festival customs. Notably, during this period, the story’s image underwent an important transformation — “it was actually the result of continuous transformation of the myth by national emotions, constantly adding elements of the times.” This “addition of contemporary elements” gradually transformed the legend from a simple astronomical myth into a comprehensive story carrying social ethics, love ideals, and cultural identity.

After the Tang and Song, the legend further evolved in oral transmission among the people. The characters became richer, the plot more detailed, and different regions developed distinctive local versions. Weaver Girl’s identity gradually evolved from “the Heavenly Emperor’s daughter” to “the Seventh Fairy Maiden,” the Cowherd’s identity evolved from “Altair” to “a mortal man,” the details of the Magpie Bridge meeting were continually enriched, and elements such as the old ox’s sacrifice and Weaver Girl’s forced separation were gradually added. This rich and diverse development in oral transmission transformed the legend from a mythological story in literati writings into a living tradition truly rooted in the folk. It is this continuous folk creation and recreation that has enabled the legend to traverse a thousand years while maintaining its powerful vitality.

The customs of Qixi have been continuously enriched over its long historical evolution, forming a festival system centred on Qiqiao, star worship, needle‑threading, sunning books and clothes, and eating Qiao pastries.

Qiqiao (Praying for Skills)

“Qiqiao” is the most core custom of Qixi. “Qiqiao” means praying to Vega for skill — young girls and married women pray to Vega for dexterity and intelligence. The record in the Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital about “the maids of the Han court threading seven‑needle holes on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Pavilion of the Open Robe” is the earliest documentary record of the Qiqiao custom. The methods of Qiqiao varied across different times and regions — the Han dynasty favoured “needle‑threading to pray for skill,” the Tang dynasty favoured “spider‑web divination,” and the Ming and Qing favoured “needle‑dropping to test skill” — but the cultural core of “praying to Vega for dexterity” remained unchanged.

The Qiqiao custom reflects the high value ancient Chinese society placed on women’s skills. In the social division of “men farming, women weaving,” textile production was women’s most important productive activity and social role. Vega, as the celestial goddess of weaving, naturally became the object of women’s prayers for skill. As folk tradition has it, Vega was regarded by the people as the goddess of weaving, an object of girls’ worship. Hence, on the night of the seventh day of the seventh month, ordinary women would pray to her for wisdom and skill.

Star Worship and Star Sacrifice

Star worship was another important custom of Qixi. People would set up incense tables, arrange melons and fruits, and pay homage to Altair and Vega on Qixi night. According to the Jingchu Suishiji, in the Southern dynasties people “arranged melons and fruits in the courtyard to pray for skills,” reflecting the star worship custom. Tang court Qixi activities were also centred on “sacrificing to the two stars.” Star worship originated from the ancients’ worship of the stars. People believed that Altair and Vega were not only celestial stars but also spiritual deities. On the special night of the seventh day of the seventh month, worshipping the two stars could bring divine protection and fulfil one’s wishes.

Needle‑Threading and Spider‑Web Divination

“Needle‑threading to pray for skill” was the oldest Qiqiao method. Han dynasty palace maids on the night of the seventh day of the seventh month would “thread seven‑needle holes,” competing to see whose hands were more skilled. This custom continued into later generations. In the Tang court, Emperor Xuanzong presented “seven‑needle needles and five‑coloured threads” to his consorts; those who could thread them by moonlight were considered to have “gained skill.” “Spider‑web divination” was another form of Qiqiao that emerged in the Tang dynasty. According to the Records of the Kaiyuan and Tianbao Eras, Emperor Xuanzong had the palace maids each catch a spider and place it in a box. The next morning, they would open the boxes and divine their skill by the density of the web — a dense web meant more skill, a sparse web less. This custom remained popular in the Song dynasty, becoming an important divination activity of Qixi.

Sunning Books and Clothes

Before the Wei‑Jin, sunning books and clothes was the main festival activity of Qixi. According to the New Tales of the World, the Wei‑Jin scholar Hao Long lay bare‑chested in the sun on Qixi. When asked why, he replied “sunning books” — as he was full of learning, sunning his belly was sunning his books. This anecdote reflects the Qixi custom of sunning books in the Wei‑Jin period. The custom of sunning books and clothes was closely related to the season of the seventh day of the seventh month. At this time, between summer and autumn, the weather was clear and dry — an ideal time for airing books and clothes to prevent insect damage and mildew. Although this custom was later replaced by Qiqiao and star worship, it reveals one of Qixi’s original functions — adapting to the seasons and protecting property.

Eating Qiao Pastries

Just as the Dragon Boat Festival has zongzi and the Mid‑Autumn Festival has mooncakes, Qixi also has its seasonal food — Qiao pastries. Qiao pastries, also called “Qiqiao fruits,” are deep‑fried dough snacks made from flour, sugar, oil, and other ingredients in various shapes. They come in many forms — images of Weaver Girl, flowers, birds, insects, fish, auspicious patterns, and more. On Qixi night, women would eat Qiao pastries while praying for skills, both enjoying the festival and expressing their wishes for dexterity.

Qixi is not only popular in mainland China but has also spread to Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and other East and Southeast Asian countries, forming distinctive local customs. The transformation of Qixi in East Asia is a typical example of the “localisation” of cultural transmission.

Japan

Qixi was introduced to Japan from China during the Hakuhō period (around the late 7th century) and developed there. During the Nara and Heian periods, Japan almost completely adopted the Tang court’s Qixi customs — imperial banquets, poetry gatherings, sumo wrestling, and women’s Qiqiao were all extremely popular in this period. After the samurai class came to power, Qixi customs gradually spread to the common people. After the Meiji Restoration, Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar and moved Qixi from the seventh day of the seventh lunar month to 7 July. Japan’s Qixi retained the core meaning of “praying for skills” but developed unique customs — people write their wishes on colourful strips of paper and hang them on bamboo branches, praying for skill improvement, calligraphy proficiency, and health. Qixi has become one of Japan’s most representative traditional summer festivals.

Korean Peninsula

South Korea’s Qixi is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, like in China. The Korean Peninsula’s Qixi originated from ancient China and is also held on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month each year. Around Qixi, temperatures gradually drop and the rainy season begins; the rain during this period is called “Qixi water.” The Korean Peninsula’s Qixi retains core elements such as star worship and Qiqiao, but places greater emphasis on the combination of prayer and agrarian beliefs.

Vietnam

Vietnam has Qixi, but unlike Japan and the Korean Peninsula, Vietnam’s Qixi remains primarily a festival for the Chinese community, mainly following the customs of southern China. The main activity is worship; young people can pray for their love lives or for family happiness. In Vietnam, Qixi is also called “Cow and Buffalo Day.” Vietnamese Qixi also involves prayers for love but places greater emphasis on collective worship and prayer. In Vietnam, Qixi is considered an unsuitable day for marriage, for fear that couples will end up separated like the Cowherd and Weaver Girl.

Although different countries have extracted different symbols and meanings — China emphasises love, South Korea prayer, Vietnam tradition, and Japan children’s fun — whatever the form, the core remains a universal human aspiration: the longing for beauty and the cherishing of fate.