Thecoupleshowsoffthebilingualpostertheauthor’sboyfriendmadeforherCOURTESYDespitemanyChinesepeoplebeingverypragmaticwhenitcomestomattersoftheheart,ChineseculturealsocaterstousdiehardromanticswiththeButterflyLovers,MadameWhiteSnake,and,ofcourse,theCowherdandtheWeaverGirl,justtonameafew.
TheQixiFestival,alsoknownastheDoubleSeventhFestival,issonamedbecauseitfallsontheseventhdayoftheseventhlunarmonth.Thisyear,itfallsonAugust17.Thefestivalisrootedinoneofthemostromanticmyths:Niulang,theCowherd,andZhinü,theWeaverGirlfromtheheavens.Thesetwoloverswereseparatedbyagiantriverintheskybecauselovebetweenamortalandagoddesswasnotallowed.
However,onceayear—asthelegendgoes—magpiestakepityontheseparatedloversandformabridgeintheskytoenablethemtobereunitedforonenightontheseventhdayoftheseventhlunarmonth.TheCowherdisrepresentedbythestarAltairandtheWeaverGirlbyVega,whiletheMilkyWayrepresentstheriverseparatingthem.
Inthepast,therehadbeenmanytraditionslinkedtothisoldtale.Forexample,girlsusedtomakeofferingstotheheavensandprayforagoodhusband.Today,youngChinesecouplesliketoexchangegiftssuchaschocolatesandflowersonQixiorenjoyaromanticmealtogether,muchliketheWesternValentine’sDay.Someevenchooseitastheirweddingday.ButlikeValentine’sDay,ittoohasbecomecommercialized.
IfirstheardofQixiuponmovingtoChinaandsawitpromotedontheInternetandonsocialmedia.IlovelivingbetweenEastandWestandenjoybothChineseandWesternfestivals,sinceIcancashinonbothholidays.ThesameofcourseappliestomyChineseboyfriend.
Valentine’sDayinFebruaryandQixiinlatesummermakefortworomanticpolesinacalendaryearforChinesecouples.MyboyfriendandIliketogotoabakeryforcakesandatête-à-tête,orgiveeachotherlittlegiftssuchasclothingorbodyproducts.ButthemostromanticgifttodatewasthetimemyboyfriendwasawayworkinginSydney,Australia,forseveralmonths.
AlthoughIenjoyedspendingQixithatyearstrollingthroughBeijing’shutongsbymyselfandadmiringthebouquetsofroses,liliesandcarnationsonsale,Imissedmyboyfriend.Butdespitebeinghalfaworldaway,hedidn’tforgetQixi!Hemadeabilingualposterwithaphotoofbothofuswhichread,“BabyIloveyou/Baobeiwoaini,HappyChineseValentine’sDay.”
HehadapproachedlocalsataSydneysupermarket—diverseindividualsandcouples—andaskedthemtoholdupthesignsohecouldtakephotographsofthemwithit.SincehedoesnotspeakEnglishthatfluently,hewrotehisrequestonthebackofthesign:“Canyouhelpmewithashadow[photo].MygirlfriendworksinBeijing,China.Iwanttogiveherasurprise.TodayisChineseValentine’sDay.”
HesentmethephotosthroughWeChatandtheytrulytouchedmyheart.Seeinghimsohappyexperiencingaforeigncountrywaspartofthegift.Ofcourse,inagoodrelationship,moreorlesseverydayisQixiorValentine’sDay.MyboyfriendandIhavethebestofEastandWest,whichisthejoyofbeinginacross-culturalrelationship.
Qixiisaroundthecorner,soit’stimetostartgettingcreative!IamsurethatmyboyfriendandIwillagainenjoythisbeautifulChinesefestivalhalfaworldawayfrommyhomecountry.
TheauthorisanAmericanlivinginBeijingCopyeditedbyRebecaToledoCommentsto