Today is the birthday of the son of the family and he will spend it in far away Guandong province.
The Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month and on that day children are told they are unlikely to see any magpies as they will all have gone to form a bridge, in the heavens, on which lovers Niu Lang and Zhi Nu will meet.
This legend was first recorded in the Jin Dynasty (256-420 AD) and tells of a doomed romance between Zhi Nu, the youngest of seven daughters of the Queen of Heaven, and Niu Lang , a poor orphaned cowherd who had been driven out of his home by his elder brother and his cruel wife.
Niu Lang's only friend and companion was an old, but magical, cow who contrived for Niu Lung and Zhi Nu to meet at a river where she and her sisters were bathing. They subsequently lived happily together for several earth years and had two children. This was until the Queen of Heaven realised Zhi Nu was missing , earth years being only days in the heavens, and forced her to return.
Niu Lung was heartbroken but remembered that his cow, who had died of old age, had told him to keep the cowhide for use in emergencies. Donning said cowhide, Niu Lang followed Zhi Nu to the heavens but the Queen used a hairpin to draw a line between the two lovers and that line became the Silver River in Heaven known to us as the Milky Way.
Zhi Nu missed her husband so much that eventually her mother relented, but only slightly, and decided to allow the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River with the help of all those magpies.
A poem about the legend was written by Qin Guan from the Song Dynasty (960 -1279).
Fairy Of The Magpie Bridge
Among the beautiful clouds,
Over the heavenly river,
Crosses the weaving maiden.
A night of rendezvous,
Across the autumn sky.
Surpasses joy on earth.
Moments of tender love and dream,
So sad to leave the magpie bridge.
This legend was first recorded in the Jin Dynasty (256-420 AD) and tells of a doomed romance between Zhi Nu, the youngest of seven daughters of the Queen of Heaven, and Niu Lang , a poor orphaned cowherd who had been driven out of his home by his elder brother and his cruel wife.
Niu Lang's only friend and companion was an old, but magical, cow who contrived for Niu Lung and Zhi Nu to meet at a river where she and her sisters were bathing. They subsequently lived happily together for several earth years and had two children. This was until the Queen of Heaven realised Zhi Nu was missing , earth years being only days in the heavens, and forced her to return.
Niu Lung was heartbroken but remembered that his cow, who had died of old age, had told him to keep the cowhide for use in emergencies. Donning said cowhide, Niu Lang followed Zhi Nu to the heavens but the Queen used a hairpin to draw a line between the two lovers and that line became the Silver River in Heaven known to us as the Milky Way.
Zhi Nu missed her husband so much that eventually her mother relented, but only slightly, and decided to allow the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River with the help of all those magpies.
A poem about the legend was written by Qin Guan from the Song Dynasty (960 -1279).
Fairy Of The Magpie Bridge
Among the beautiful clouds,
Over the heavenly river,
Crosses the weaving maiden.
A night of rendezvous,
Across the autumn sky.
Surpasses joy on earth.
Moments of tender love and dream,
So sad to leave the magpie bridge.
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