Chinese Social Sciences Today Culture 8 THURSDAY AUGUST 23 2018 Qixi Festival: More than just romance CHINESE PROVERBS

By REN GUANHONG the character ji (blessings), July 7 of appealing for skillfulness has tival with her female friends. On was regarded as a day of double remained unchanged. the day before the festival, they Since their childhoods, most Chi- ji. Hence, the date of the Qixi used to fast and take a bath. On seven nese have become familiar with Festival was set on July 7 in the Needlework game the night of July 7, they held the the tragic romance between the Chinese calendar. Girls in ancient times longed to ceremony in front of a table with Weaving Maid (Zhi Nü), and the have good weaving skills as Zhi abundant offerings like fruits, Cowherd (Niu Lang). The couple Qi Qiao Nü had, so they would compete wine and wu zi, which included is permitted to meet once a year Although the Qixi Festival with each other to see who was longan, red dates, hazelnuts, pea- during the Qixi Festival, which nowadays is widely recognized the best weaver. Needlework nuts and melon seeds. Prayers falls on the seventh night of the as Chinese Valentine’s Day due competition, or chuan zhen qi were offered, the altars lit, and the seventh lunar month. The Qixi, to the romantic legend, it origi- qiao, was the original activity of odor of incense filled the air. After also known as the Magpie Festi- nated from an annual celebra- the festival. The earliest-known that, they gathered around in the val or the Seventh Night Festival, tion named Qi Qiao by girls and reference to this activity dates moonlight, sharing peanuts and This character refers to the num- is a traditional festival full of women in bygone days. Qi Qiao back to the Han Dynasty. As melon seeds and sending mes- ber seven. Seven was widely romance and was important to means begging for skillfulness or recorded in Miscellany of the sages to Zhi Nü. Single women used in ancient Chinese culture ancient ladies. praying for wisdom. Western Capital (Xi Jing Za Ji), usually prayed for finding a good and was generally considered a There are various beliefs about In ancient times, needlework an unofficial record of histori- husband in the future, and the propitious number. the origin of the festival. Ac- was an important aspect of the cal events written some 1,600 newly married women prayed to cording to a generally accepted festival because it fell in early years ago, on the seventh day of become pregnant quickly. 七步之才 version dating as far back as fall, when the weather was be- the seventh lunar month, palace qī bù zhī cái the Spring and Autumn Period coming cool. Women had to maids in the Western Han Court Growing beans Qi is “seven” while bu refers to (770-476 BCE), the date of Qixi prepare warm clothes. An infer- used to compete to put threads Growing beans, or zhong “step.” Zhi is “of” and cai means “tal- was originally fixed based on the ence was drawn from The Book through qi kong zhen (seven sheng, in which sheng means ent.” It first refers to creating a poem location of Zhinü Xing in the sky, of Poetry that the needle work needles in line) in kai jin tower bearing children, was another old with seven steps, and is used to de- which refers to the trio of stars should be done before the ninth (also known as needle tower, a custom of the festival. Approach- scribe somebody’s quickness in wit consisting of Vega, ε Lyrae and lunar month—“In Month Seven dwelling for women). As other ing that day, families grew beans and dexterity in literary creativity. ζ1 Lyrae. These three stars form the Fire Star is hardly spotted; women followed suit, the activity in bowls. On July 7, they tied the This old saying is derived from a a triangle. Ancient Chinese no- In Month Nine winter coats are finally became a primary festival sprouts of beans with red and story that dates back to the Three ticed that the internal angle with allotted.” Therefore, women custom. Young girls gathered blue threads, referring to zhong Kingdoms Period (220-280). Cao Zhi Vega as its vertex usually faced probably wove in July and made around and put colored threads sheng. There were also various (192- 232) was a prince of the state of the east in early autumn during clothes in August of the Chinese through needles in the moon- waxworks of Niu Lang and Zhi Cao Wei and an accomplished poet the seventh lunar month. It was calendar. At that time, weaving light. The one who finished first Nü, animals or others. They were as well. After he failed in a power considered promising a harvest. and needlework skills were the won the game. put into water, called shui shang struggle for the crown against his The seventh day of the seventh criteria by which a girl’s hands fu, which means floating on top brother Cao Pi (187-226), he was lunar month is special, partly and mind were judged, both pre- Spider game of water. The models of infants ordered to make a poem within the due to the cultural significance requisites for being a good wife Since spiders made good “weav- made of wax were popular with time required for taking seven steps, of chong ri (literally, double and mother. Since Zhi Nü was ing,” a game named xi zhu ying women. They were put into wa- or his bitter brother would execute day) in the Chinese calendar. regarded as a goddess of needle- qiao (a lucky spider game) was ter or soil and named hua sheng, him. Cao Zhi recited the famous Chong ri refers to January 1 (New work who could weave textiles created to be part of the festival symbolizing more children for poem, “Written While Taken Seven Year’s Day), February 2 (Spring like roseate clouds, women began activities, probably during the families. Paces”: “They were boiling beans on Dragon Festival), March 3 (Out- to hold ceremonial rituals in lu- Northern and Southern dynasties a beanstalk fire;/ Came a plaintive ing Festival), May 5 (Dragon nar July for praying to be blessed (420-589). On the night of Qixi, Qiao guo voice from the pot,/ ‘O why, since Boat Festival), June 6, July 7 with intelligence and wisdom. women put spiders into small box- Qixi includes consuming vari- we sprang from the selfsame root,/ (Qixi Festival) and September 9 Qixi was formally listed as a es and opened it the next morning. ous types of food, and these differ Should you kill me with anger hot?’” (Climbing Festival). These seven festival during the Han Dynasty If the spider made a dense web from region to region. The most Moved by the poem, Cao Pi let his days were treated as auspicious (202 BCE-220). Since then, inside, it was believed to represent popular of them is the qiao guo brother go. days. Because the tone of num- festival customs have varied positive feedback from Zhi Nü. (skillful fruit, literally). It was a ber 7 is quite similar to that of slightly over time, but the theme The owners of those spiders would type of fried thin paste of differ- 七月七日长生殿 be blessed with cleverness. ent shapes, made from oil, flour, qī yuè qī rì cháng shēng diàn sugar and honey. To make it, af- Qi yue refers to “July” while qi ri The game of throwing needles ter boiling sugar into syrup, flour means “the seventh day.” Chang The game of throwing needles, and sesame seeds are added and sheng dian is the “Long Life Hall.” or tou zhen yan qiao, was a mixed into a dough. Then, the This is a verse of the famous poem variation of chuan zhen qi qiao. dough is rolled out until it is very “Chang Hen Ge,” also known as “The It became a regular custom dur- thin. It is cut into squares and Everlasting Regret,” written by the ing the Ming and Qing dynasties folded into fusiform shapes (wide Tang poet Bai Juyi (772-846). “On (1368-1912). On Qixi noon, girls in the middle, tapering at the seventh day of seventh moon when usually threw a sewing needle ends). The last step is to fry the none was near,/ At midnight in Long into a bowl full of water as a test pastries until they turn yellow. Life Hall he whispered in her ear, / of embroidery skills. If the needle ‘On high, we’d be two lovebirds flying floated on top of the water, its Qi Qiao fair wing to wing;/ On earth, two trees shadow would appear near the During the Song and Yuan dy- with branches twined from spring bottom. In that case, embroidery nasties (960-1368), there were to spring.’” The poem centers on the skills would be judged by the great fairs for the festival in the love story of Li Longji, the Emperor shadow of the needle. A shadow national capital, called Qi Qiao Xuanzong of Tang (685-762) and his with an elaborate shape rather Shi, or Qi Qiao fairs. The fair was concubine Yang Yuhuan (719-756). than a thin line was a mark of a a big event for the whole city. On Li neglected the affairs of state in his skilled embroider. July 1, people started garther- eagerness for the love for Yang. Dur- ing at the fair and families came ing the An Lushan Rebellion, as Li Qixi offering in huge groups. The roads were and his cortege were fleeing from the This character refers to the number seven. The Qixi offering was an im- crowded with people and carriag- capital, his guards demanded that he Seven was widely used in ancient Chinese portant and necessary part of the es. There were stalls all round, put Yang to death. After doing so, Li culture, and was generally considered a propitious number. annual celebration based on the full of things from domestic mar- was in perpetual grief and trapped in worship to Zhi Nü. In the old days, kets and from foreign lands. All his memories. This verse is a snap- young girls and women gathered kinds of festival foods were sold. shot of the days with Yang that he on that night. Parents would invite In the few days before July 7, the recalled. Yang serves as a source of their relatives’ daughters (for at whole fair was converted into inspiration for numerous works of that time, ladies rarely went out), a huge carnival. There was no literature, either as the author of “Qi Qiao” by the Qing artist Chen Mei, offering a view of the game of because their daughters would space to move about freely amid misfortune or as a scapegoat. throwing needles in the Qixi Festival Photo: FILE much more likely enjoy the fes- the atmosphere of excitement.