325:
241:
285:
297:
313:
257:
269:
35:
183:, a cowherd. Niulang was so amazed by her beauty that he instantly fell in love with her and stole her clothes. Without her clothes, Zhinü was unable to return to heaven. Instead, she decided to marry Niulang. Niulang farmed in the fields while Zhinü weaved at home and took care of their children. Zhinü was so deeply in love and for so long that she no longer desired a return to heaven. However, their relationship was discovered by her father, Jade Emperor, who ordered the
324:
187:
to bring Zhinü back to Heaven. Niulang was very upset when he found out his wife had been taken back to heaven. Niulang's ox, who saw the events unfold, built a boat for him to carry his children up to Heaven. The ox was once the god of cattle but was punished after he had violated the laws of
312:
284:
240:
296:
256:
453:
268:
494:
398:
191:
Just when
Niulang and his sons were about to reach Heaven, the Queen Mother of the West punished them by creating the River of Heaven, or
435:
417:
202:
Eventually, the Queen Mother of the West allowed them to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month when a flock of
195:, across the middle of the sky, separating the two lovers forever. Heartbroken, Zhinü became the star Vega and Niulang the star
163:
495:"Old Tales for New Times: Some Comments on the Cultural Translation of China's Four Great Folktales in the Twentieth Century"
49:
217:
The story was selected as one of China's Four Great
Folktales by the "Folklore Movement" in the 1920s—the others being the
63:
226:
472:
532:
218:
184:
150:. It is believed that she weaved her father’s royal robes out of the clouds. She is identified as the star
34:
211:
303:
509:
365:
214:. Today the Chinese phrase "Niulang Zhinü" is commonly used to describe loving married couples.
318:
Depiction of the creation of the River of Heaven (Milky Way), painted by Guo Xu, Ming dynasty.
247:
94:
222:
129:
206:
swarm into the sky and create a bridge for them to cross. The day is celebrated as the "
125:
526:
345:
207:
40:
454:"Qixi Festival – Google celebrates Chinese traditional festival on Aug 25 this year"
176:
147:
101:
161:
Zhinü was a legendary figure and main character in the popular
Chinese folk tale
490:
192:
399:"Photos: The star-crossed lovers of China and Japan's literary traditions"
379:
180:
139:
262:
Zhinü with a shuttle in her hand, painted by Zhang Ling, Ming dynasty.
275:
203:
196:
167:. The earliest record of this myth is traced to over 2600 years ago.
146:
in
Chinese mythology. She was the youngest of seven daughters of the
179:. One day she came down to Earth and, while bathing in a river, met
155:
151:
143:
124:
This article is about the mythical figure. For the spider, see
290:
Zhinü as depicted on the ceiling of
Muxuyuan Station, Nanjing.
418:"Chinese Valentine's Day Folktale Sparks Discussion on Abuse"
436:"Explainer: The Story of Qixi, AKA Chinese Valentine's Day"
39:
An illustration of the couple at the Long
Corridor of the
106:
100:
93:
88:
76:
62:
48:
21:
274:Zhinü crossing the River of Heaven, as painted by
68:
54:
8:
330:The painting of Niulang - Zhinü in the book
302:Zhinü and Niulang, by the Japanese painter
85:
33:
357:
334:of the Nguyễn dynasty by Lê Đức Trạch.
236:
175:Zhinü was the seventh daughter of the
18:
7:
502:Taiwan Journal of East Asian Studies
471:Laban, Barbara (8 February 2016).
14:
368:. China Welfare Institute. 2005.
323:
311:
295:
283:
267:
255:
239:
164:The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl
416:Tone, Sixth (26 August 2020).
380:"Zhi Nu Mythology & Facts"
107:
69:
55:
1:
227:Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai
128:. For the lunar crater, see
549:
123:
219:Legend of the White Snake
210:", also known as China's
118:
84:
32:
28:
185:Queen Mother of the West
50:Traditional Chinese
508:(1): 26. Archived from
384:Encyclopedia Britannica
332:Vân tiên cổ tích truyện
64:Simplified Chinese
473:"Top 10 Chinese myths"
154:in the constellation
304:Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
138:is the goddess of
533:Chinese goddesses
460:. 25 August 2020.
442:. 21 August 2020.
397:Ohtsuka, Yasuyo.
122:
121:
114:
113:
95:Standard Mandarin
540:
517:
516:
514:
499:
487:
481:
480:
468:
462:
461:
450:
444:
443:
432:
426:
425:
413:
407:
406:
394:
388:
387:
376:
370:
369:
362:
327:
315:
299:
287:
271:
259:
243:
110:
109:
86:
72:
71:
58:
57:
37:
19:
548:
547:
543:
542:
541:
539:
538:
537:
523:
522:
521:
520:
512:
497:
489:
488:
484:
470:
469:
465:
452:
451:
447:
434:
433:
429:
415:
414:
410:
396:
395:
391:
378:
377:
373:
364:
363:
359:
354:
342:
335:
328:
319:
316:
307:
300:
291:
288:
279:
272:
263:
260:
251:
244:
235:
223:Lady Meng Jiang
212:Valentine’s Day
173:
133:
130:Zhinyu (crater)
80:The Weaver Girl
77:Literal meaning
44:
17:
16:Chinese goddess
12:
11:
5:
546:
544:
536:
535:
525:
524:
519:
518:
515:on 2014-10-06.
491:Idema, Wilt L.
482:
463:
445:
427:
408:
389:
371:
356:
355:
353:
350:
349:
348:
341:
338:
337:
336:
329:
322:
320:
317:
310:
308:
301:
294:
292:
289:
282:
280:
273:
266:
264:
261:
254:
252:
248:Yamamoto Hōsui
246:A painting by
245:
238:
234:
231:
172:
169:
126:Zhinu (spider)
120:
119:
116:
115:
112:
111:
104:
98:
97:
91:
90:
89:Transcriptions
82:
81:
78:
74:
73:
66:
60:
59:
52:
46:
45:
38:
30:
29:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
545:
534:
531:
530:
528:
511:
507:
503:
496:
492:
486:
483:
478:
474:
467:
464:
459:
455:
449:
446:
441:
437:
431:
428:
423:
419:
412:
409:
404:
400:
393:
390:
385:
381:
375:
372:
367:
366:"China Today"
361:
358:
351:
347:
346:Qixi Festival
344:
343:
339:
333:
326:
321:
314:
309:
305:
298:
293:
286:
281:
277:
270:
265:
258:
253:
249:
242:
237:
232:
230:
228:
224:
220:
215:
213:
209:
208:Qixi Festival
205:
200:
198:
194:
189:
186:
182:
178:
170:
168:
166:
165:
159:
157:
153:
149:
145:
142:and the star
141:
137:
131:
127:
117:
105:
103:
99:
96:
92:
87:
83:
79:
75:
67:
65:
61:
53:
51:
47:
42:
41:Summer Palace
36:
31:
27:
24:
20:
510:the original
505:
501:
485:
477:The Guardian
476:
466:
458:Devdiscourse
457:
448:
439:
430:
421:
411:
402:
392:
383:
374:
360:
331:
216:
201:
190:
177:Jade Emperor
174:
162:
160:
148:Jade Emperor
135:
134:
102:Hanyu Pinyin
22:
440:Thats Mags
422:Sixth Tone
352:References
403:Scroll.in
193:Milky Way
43:, Beijing
527:Category
493:(2012).
340:See also
250:in 1892.
188:Heaven.
278:, 1799.
233:Gallery
204:magpies
181:Niulang
140:weaving
276:Gai Qi
225:, and
197:Altair
171:Legend
513:(PDF)
498:(PDF)
136:Zhinü
108:Zhīnǚ
23:Zhinü
156:Lyra
152:Vega
144:Vega
199:.
529::
504:.
500:.
475:.
456:.
438:.
420:.
401:.
382:.
229:.
221:,
158:.
70:织女
56:織女
506:9
479:.
424:.
405:.
386:.
306:.
132:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.