The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl

Legend of Qixi

Star-crossed lovers separated by the Milky Way meet once a year on magpie bridge at Qixi.

The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl began as the stars Altair and Vega. In the folk tale the weaver, daughter of heaven, marries a mortal cowherd and neglects her loom; heaven separates them by the Silver River, allowing a single meeting each year. On the seventh night of the seventh month, magpies form a bridge so the lovers can reunite — the origin of the Qixi festival.