Qixi Festival: Village in Guangzhou honors ancient traditions

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02:48

Today marks the Qixi Festival, which falls on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar. It's also known as Chinese Valentine's Day, as it commemorates the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl in mythology. And in one village in the southern Guangzhou city, locals are keeping ancient traditions alive. CGTN's Cui Hui'ao has the story.

Flowers, birds, and an atmosphere of serenity. This ancestral hall in Zhu village is full of handicrafts on the night of Qixi. Also Known as the Qiqiao Festival, or "Festival to Plead for Skills", what sets Qixi apart from the western Valentine's day, its emphasis on dexterity.

ZHOU XUTIAN VILLAGER "I started making handicrafts in the third grade. We would work our own creation one month in advance of Qixi and present them on the day itself."

Traditionally, on the evening of the festival, women would work with needles and threads, competing with one another to see whose needlecraft was the best. They would also pray with fresh fruit and melons for the mythological figure Zhi Nu to endow them with adept hands.

PAN JIANMING VICE DIRECTOR, ASSOCIATION OF FOLK CULTURE IN GUANGDONG PROVINCE "In Chinese mythology, Zhi Nu was a beautiful and smart weaver. She weaved the most beautiful clouds. Her romance with cowherd Niu Lang symbolizes three longings of a young woman: dexterity, a happy family, and a sweet marriage."

CUI HUI'AO ZHU VILLAGE, GUANGZHOU "Nowadays most Chinese young people tend to favor the western valentine's day on February 14th, more than the time-honored Qixi festival. Many traditions and customs on the night of Qixi have gradually faded. But people in this village have kept the ancient tradition alive, and stayed true to their roots in celebrating this truly Chinese event."

As times change and modern women do less needlework, Zhu Village has remained an exception. For 19-year-old Pan Yuanwen, she still learns sewing from her grandmother. This year marks her second time partaking in the worship ceremony on Qixi, one of the most important rituals.

PAN YUANWEN VILLAGER "I think Qixi is just as important as Valentine's Day. It has a rich cultural meaning which in its essence is beyond romantic love, but more about a harmonious Chinese family. Young people should inherit that spirit."

The traditions of Qixi date back 600 years here in Zhu Village, which is probably why it is also known as China's "Hometown of Qiqiao cultures." Pan says the festival has drawn more and more visitors to her village each year, and she hopes it will become even bigger in the future. Cui Hui'ao, CGTN, Guangzhou.