Qixi Festival (七节夕) is one of my favorite Chinese festivals as it comes with a very beautiful story background, a myth of two star-crossed lovers - the Cowherd (Niu Lang) and Weaver Girl (Zhi Nu) The story is derived from actual constellation movements - Altair and Vega, which both characters represent. There are a few variations to the story but it mainly goes like this...
The Origin
Niu Lang came across seven celestial fairies bathing in a lake one day. His companion, a cow (who is actually the God of Cattle, sent down to Earth for violating Heaven's laws) suddenly talked and helped him get acquainted with the fairies as a favor return as Niu Lang once saved him.
It encouraged him to steal their clothes while they are in the water and so, the fairies got the youngest amongst them, Zhi Nu, to go out and retrieve their clothes. They both fell in love and she agreed to his request to marry her. So, she stayed back on earth and have two children with him.
However, when the Empress of Heaven found out that her daughter had married a mortal, she is enraged. She forces Zhi Nu to return to heaven, leaving Niu Lang heartbroken. The cow then told Niu Lang to kill itself and wear its hide. This magical hide would allow him to go to the heavens to find his wife. Niu Lang reluctantly does so and goes to heaven with his two children to find Zhi Nu.
The Empress of Heaven was enraged and used a hairpin to rip a wide river (the Milky Way) in the heavens to separate Niu Lang and Zhi Nu on opposite sides, never to be able to meet each other.
The lovers and the kids were weeping so bitterly, that some magpies took pity on them. They flew up to heaven and formed a bridge across the Milky Way, allowing the pair to reunite. This moved the Empress of Heaven and so she allowed them to meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th month of each lunar year.
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Opening Address by Kim Mui Hoey Kuan Clan (金门会馆 )representative and Qixi Fest Director Lynn Wong |
Reviving Qixi Festival
This story has since evolved as the Chinese version of Valentine's Day and me being the horrible romantic believed so, but actually, it's a day when women will pray to the stars for a good marriage and also for the skills and wisdom to make them good wives. Thus the alternate name for the day - Qi Qiao Festival (乞巧节), meaning begging for skills.
During this day, there will be activities to do, girls will show off their needlework and eat a Qixi pastry called Qiaoguo, made from flour, sesame, and sugar. In Singapore during the mid-1800s, this festival was said to be even grander than the Chinese New Year! They even had parties that go up to 10 days!
The women formed sisterhood organizations called Seven Sisters' Associations, or Milky Way Associations, to celebrate the festival together. Qixi Festival was marked by grand public displays of handicrafts in Chinatown - especially those that involved Majies (妈姐, domestic servants) from the Shuntak region - but these traditions have faded into obscurity since the 1970s as many Majies began to retire and returned to their hometown.
This year the Qixi Festival will be celebrated on 22 August 2023 but to bring back the hype after being forgotten for more than 50 years, there will be a celebration over the weekends from 7 July to 20 August. Clan associations, and community partners led by cultural researcher Lynn Wong have banded together to revive the festival in Singapore. You can look forward to 7 weekends of talks, workshops, exhibitions, and tours leading up to a mega two-day carnival at Smith Street, Chinatown on August 19 and 20.
Qixi Fest 2023 Celebrations
In conjunction with the festival, there will be a plethora of activities such as free boat tours and trails, storytelling sessions, crocheting classes, heritage cooking, and demonstration workshops. Most of the Qixi Fest programs are free with a few being ticketed, more details here.
Qixi Fest’s finale event on 19-20 August 2023 is a mega carnival featuring cooking demonstrations of lost heritage foods, special art-in-action showcases with practitioners such as Andy Yeo who will be painting lanterns on the spot, and cultural music performances including guzheng orchestral music and a martial arts display!
Qixi Fest River Cruise
Go back in history as you listen to stories of female migrants as well as the Kinmen people whose boats once plied the Singapore River on this free Qixi Fest River Cruise.
Go back in history as you listen to stories of female migrants as well as the Kinmen people whose boats once plied the Singapore River on this free Qixi Fest River Cruise.
The boat tours are held in collaboration with clan association partner Kim Mui Hoey Kuan (金门会馆) and will take you past key sites and monuments beginning and ending at the Clarke Quay Jetty. Taking place every Sunday from now till 20 August 2023 from 8 pm to 8.30 pm in English, and 8.30 pm to 9 pm in Chinese. There are a total of 12 free boat tours along the Singapore River, accommodating up to 30 pax per timeslot. Along the way, you can hear stories of yester years and enjoy the scenery along the Singapore River.
*Participants with tickets should arrive 15 minutes earlier for registration.
Dates of Boat Tours: 9, 16, 23, 30 July & 6, 13 August (Sundays)
English Guided Tour: 8pm to 8.30pm
Chinese Guided Tour: 8.30pm to 9pm
Book your spots here.
Dates of Boat Tours: 9, 16, 23, 30 July & 6, 13 August (Sundays)
English Guided Tour: 8pm to 8.30pm
Chinese Guided Tour: 8.30pm to 9pm
Book your spots here.
Talks and Family-Friendly Workshops
Themed (Her)Story there will be free talks, panel discussions & exhibitions to celebrate the female migrant pioneers who brought the festival to Singapore in the 19th century; shining light on factory women who toiled in the graveyard shift and also the (mis)representation of Samsui women in media and the arts.
Themed (Her)Story there will be free talks, panel discussions & exhibitions to celebrate the female migrant pioneers who brought the festival to Singapore in the 19th century; shining light on factory women who toiled in the graveyard shift and also the (mis)representation of Samsui women in media and the arts.
You can also experience hands-on what it is like preparing for the celebration back in the day through heritage food preparation workshops such as Majie Chilli biscuits (辣椒饼), Tung Ann (炸枣), and Meizhou Yam Balls (芋头圆). You can also pick up some new skills like calligraphy, Hanfu craftsmanship, harmonica playing, outdoor sketching and even riddle-solving!
Tickets can be purchased here.
Make-A-Wish Magpie
Magpies play quite a major role in the Qixi mythology, thus the mascot for Qixi Fest 2023 - QiQi (七七or seven seven). You can pen your wishes on paper magpies and help form a “Magpie Bridge” which will be an art installation displayed at the finale carnival, as part of the 1,000 wishes programme.
Magpies play quite a major role in the Qixi mythology, thus the mascot for Qixi Fest 2023 - QiQi (七七or seven seven). You can pen your wishes on paper magpies and help form a “Magpie Bridge” which will be an art installation displayed at the finale carnival, as part of the 1,000 wishes programme.
For a better chance of having your wishes fulfilled, you can also crochet or customize your very own magpie crochet plushie and let your hopes and dreams take flight (even if you have zero experience in crocheting). Psst, you can also keep your wish a secret by “safeguarding” it in the magpie.
The crotcheting workshop takes place on 22 July at 2 pm and 4 pm.
More details and tickets can be found here.
More details and tickets can be found here.
Gather your friends and families and help revive this lost celebration!
See you there at the workshops and finale carnival!
Look out for these yummy Qixi inspired drink at the carnival ~
For more on Qixi Festival 2023, go to https://www.qixifest.com/.
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