As Valentine's Day approaches, many people reflect on their favorite love stories. In ancient China, folktales about love abounded. The myth of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, also known as Niulang and Zhinyu in Chinese, remains one of the most popular. It has been passed down among generations since the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) over 2,200 years ago.

According to ancient legend, a boy named Niulang was living a harsh life on Earth. His older brother and sister-in-law treated him badly, and he only had one friend – an old buffalo.

In heaven, Zhinyu was a young lady who was good at weaving. One day, she grew tired of her humdrum life and secretly went down to Earth. By chance, she met Niulang, and privately decided to marry him. After that, Niulang and Zhinyu lived a happy life and had two children.

When the Emperor of Heaven and the Queen Mother learned about their marriage, they were furious and ordered Zhinyu to immediately return to heaven. After Niulang heard the news, he took his children and embarked for heaven with the help of his old buffalo. For this reason, the Queen Mother took off her hairpin and "drew" a river to separate the couple.

However, the love story between Niulang and Zhinyu spread widely and also drew the sympathy of the magpies. A large number then came to build a "magpie bridge" across the river with their bodies so the couple could meet in heaven. Later, the Queen Mother was also touched by Niulang and Zhinyu's enduring romance, and agreed they could meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Every year on that date, numerous magpies would form a bridge to reunite the couple for a day.

This day was designated as the Qixi Festival, which is considered to be the most romantic and traditional festival in China. Today, it is dubbed the Chinese Valentine's Day.

The mythology of Niulang and Zhinyu has also spread to other parts of Asia, but the details differ. It has been counted as one of China's Four Great Folktales, the others being the Legend of the White Snake, Lady Meng Jiang, and The Butterfly Lovers.