Often likened to an Asian Romeo and Juliet, the legend behind Qixi Festival tells the story of two star-crossed lovers: Zhinü, the Weaver Girl and daughter of the Jade Emperor, and Niulang, a humble cowherd.

The two fell in love, married, and had two children. But when the Jade Emperor discovered their marriage, he separated them, placing the Milky Way between heaven and earth.

Moved by their devotion, the gods allowed a flock of magpies to form a bridge across the river once a year, giving the lovers a chance to reunite on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month—the day celebrated as Qixi Festival.