Chinese-Valentines-Day

Xi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityLunarJuly7Xi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityRomanticlegendThelegendhasbeenhandeddownfornearly2millennia.ThestoryhasbeenrecordedasfarbackastheJinDynasty(256-420AD).PoetscomposedhundredsofversesonthelovestoryandmanytypesofChineseoperatellthestory.TheChinesepeoplebelievethatthestarVega（织女星）,eastoftheMilkyWay,isZhiNuand,attheconstellationofAquila（天鹰座）,onthewesternsideoftheMilkyWay,NiuLangwaitsXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityforhiswife.ZhiNuwassaidtobetheyoungestofsevendaughtersoftheQueenofHeaven.Withhersisters,sheworkedhardtoweavebeautifulcloudsinthesky,whileNiuLangwasapoororphancowherd,drivenoutofhishomebyhiselderbrotherandhiscruelwife.Xi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityNiuLanglamentedoverhislonelyandpoorlifewithanoldcow,hisonlyfriendandcompanion.Themagicalcowkindlytoldhimofawaytofindabeautifulandnicewomanashislifecompanion.Underthedirectionofthecow,NiuLangwenttotheriversideonanevening,wherethesevenfairiesslippedoutoftheirheavenlypalacetobathe.Hetookoneofthebeautifulsilkdressesthefairieshadleftonthebank.Xi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityWhenthefairiesleftthewater,theyoungestcouldn'tfindherclothesandhadtoseehersistersflybacktoheavenwithouther.ThenNiuLangcameoutwiththedressandaskedtheyoungestfairy,ZhiNu,tostaywithhim.SeveralyearspassedonEarth,whichwereonlyafewdaysinheaven.NiuLangandZhiNulivedhappilytogetherandhadtwochildrenbeforetheQueenofHeavendiscoveredZhiNu'sabsence.Xi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityYetintheeyesoftheJadeEmperor,theSupremeDeityinTaoism,marriagebetweenamortalandfairywasstrictlyforbidden.HesenttheempresstofetchZhinu.Toobadthistripdidn'ttakeplaceinCanada.Fairiescanmarrywhoevertheywantto.theQueenofHeavenwassoannoyedshehadZhiNubroughtbacktoheaven.Xi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversitySeeinghisbelovedwifeflyinginthesky,NiuLangwasterrified.Hecaughtsightofthecowhidehangingonawall.Themagicalcowhadtoldhimbeforedyingofoldage:Keepthecowhide（牛皮）foremergencyuse.Puttingthecowhideon,hewentafterhiswifewithhistwochildrenXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityWiththehelpofthecowhide,NiuLangwasabletofollowZhiNuintoheaven.HewasabouttoreachhiswifewhentheQueenshowedupandpulledoffherhairpintodrawalinebetweenthetwo.ThelinebecametheSilverRiverinheaven,ortheMilkyWay.ZhiNuwentbacktotheheavenlyworkshop,goingonweavingtheclouds.Butshewassosad,andmissedherhusbandacrosstheSilverRiversomuchthatthecloudssheweavedseemedsad.Xi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityFinally,theQueenshowedalittlemercy,allowingthecoupletomeetonceeveryyearontheSilverRiver.Xi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityActivitiesUnlikeSt.Valentine'sDayinWesterncountriesthereisnotsomuchemphasisongivingchocolates,flowersandkisses.?Instead,Chinesegirlspreparefruits,melonsandincense（熏香）asofferingstoZhiNu,theweavingmaiden,prayingtoacquirehighskillsinneedlecraft（裁缝）aswellashopingtofindsatisfactoryhusbands.Xi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityXi’anJiaotongUniversityIntheevening,peoplesitoutdoorstoobservethestars.Chinesegrannieswouldsaythat,ifyoustandunderagrapevine,youcanprobablyoverhearwhatZhiNuandNiuLangaretalkingabout.