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Zhinü, the seventh daughter of the
Empress of Heaven, was so skilled
that she could weave clouds of many
colours.
One day she decided to visit the Earth
and a cowherd called Niulang saw her
and fell in love with her. While she
was bathing he stole her dress so she
couldn’t return to heaven, but when
she saw him she fell in love with him
too and they married, had two children,
and were very happy.
However, when the Empress of
Heaven heard that Zhinü had married
a mortal she was furious.
Her daughter had given up her
weaving so there were no longer
any brightly coloured clouds in the
heavens, and Niulang was neglecting
his cattle.
The Empress sent her guards to bring
Zhinü back to her palace in the sky
– but Niulang put on a magic ox hide
and, with their children in his arms, he
flew after Zhinü.
He had nearly caught up with her when
the Empress, seeing this, took her
hairpin, and drew a silver river across
the sky – separating them forever.
Zhinü became the star Vega, and
Niulang and the children became the
star Altair, and the two fainter stars on
either side of it. Between them runs
the faint silvery river of distant stars
that make up our home galaxy, the
Milky Way.
Although February isn’t the best time
of year to see these stars, if you get
up early towards the end of the month
you can catch a glimpse of them low
down in the East before sunrise. And if
you have a clear, dark sky, away from
street lights, look for the pale glow of
the Milky Way running between Vega
and Altair.
The story does have a (sort of) happy
ending though.
The couple were so heartbroken
that even the Empress took pity on
them. Providing Zhinü works hard
at her weaving, and Niulang keeps
his cattle under control, once a year,
on the seventh day of the seventh
lunar month, flocks of magpies come
together to form a bridge over the Milky
Way river and Zhinü and Niulang can
spend the day together.
This day is celebrated as the Chinese
‘Valentines’ day.
a Chinese tale
of star-cross’d lovers
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