Chinese Valentine’s Day is Qi Xi 七夕. Qi Xi Festival is another Chinese cultural celebration for Kids we want to add to the series. Exploring world culture is a great way to expand language learning through culture.
What is Qi Xi?
Chinese Valentine’s Day is Qi Xi 七夕. The legend is that you can see a bridge formed by “magpies” xǐ què 喜鵲 (traditional Chinese) | 喜鹊 (simplified Chinese) in the night sky on the day of 七夕 Qi Xi. Qi Xi is the evening of the 7th day of the 7th lunar month.
What is the date for Qi Xi? In 2025, it is on August 29.
Weather Forecast for Qi Xi
Is it raining? What does it mean when it rains on this day?
Qi Xi
Chinese Valentine’s Day, Qi Xi is also celebrated in other Asian countries such as Tanabata in Japan, Chilseok in Korea, and That Tich in Vietnam.
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Chinese: 七夕 (Qīxī), in the West, many refer to this day as “Chinese Valentine’s Day,” which originates from the legend of the Cowherd (Niú Láng) and Weaver Girl (Zhī Nǚ).
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Japan: 七夕 (Tanabata), introduced from China around the 8th century, also celebrates the meeting of Orihime (Weaver Girl) and Hikoboshi (Cowherd). The focus is often on writing wishes on colorful tanzaku papers hung on bamboo.
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Korea: 칠석 (Chilseok), celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, shares the same myth. Traditionally, people eat seasonal wheat noodles (밀국수, milguksu) because wheat ripens around this time.
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Vietnam: Thất Tịch (That Tich), also observed on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, centers on the same lovers’ tale. In modern times, it has become associated with young couples; single people sometimes eat red beans on this day, believing it will help them find love.
Daughter’s Day
Traditionally, Qi Xi began as Daughter’s Day, an important occasion for girls. Families prayed to the star Vega, which represents 織女 | 织女 (Zhī Nǚ, the Weaver Girl), wishing for skillful hands, intelligence, and good health for the daughters in the family. This festival dates back to the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). Today, the traditions of Qi Xi 七夕, also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, vary across different regions in China and Taiwan.
Qi Xi – A Love Story
The story behind 七夕 Qi Xi is the love story of 牛郎 Niú láng (cowherd) on earth and 織女 zhī nǚ (weaver girl), the fairy weaver girl. The star for 牛郎 Niú láng (cowherd) is Altair, and the star for 織女 zhī nǚ (weaver girl) is Vega.
The story goes like this…
The fairy weaver girl was the youngest of the Goddess’s seven daughters. She came down to earth and played joyfully with her sisters by the water. But when it was time to return, she did not leave with them and was left behind.
On earth, she fell in love with a cowherd and chose to stay with him. The Goddess was furious and ordered the fairy to return to heaven, separating her from the cowherd.
Their sorrow was so deep that their tears fell from the sky as rain. Moved by their love and devotion, the magpies formed a bridge across the Milky Way so the two could be reunited. The Jade Emperor, touched by 牛郎 Niú Láng (the cowherd) and 織女 Zhī Nǚ (the weaver girl), decreed that they would be allowed to meet once a year—on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
Sing with Teresa Teng and Bon Jovi to Celebrate Qi Xi
In Chinese. Yes! To celebrate the Qixi Festival, I have included resources here: a beloved Chinese song performed both by Teresa Teng (the original singer 鄧麗君) and by Bon Jovi, along with two videos—one in English about the festival and another in Chinese with Chinese subtitles that retells the story.
Activities to go with this cultural topic
1. Have the kids follow the song and sing 月亮代表我的心 = Yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn. Create a storyboard for the song.
2. Listen to the story and discuss the story of Qi Xi. Is there an equivalent or a similar story in a different culture?
3. Ribbon dance fun at home or in class. See the video of the ribbon dance performed by a 9-year-old girl below.
Bon Jovi sings the Chinese classic pop song, 月亮代表我的心 Yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn for his Chinese-speaking audience on Chinese Valentine’s Day. He did such a great job singing this song! Your students will be inspired to sing this song with Bon Jovi. There are 37 unique Chinese characters in this song. As usual, many Chinese words in the lyrics are high-frequency words.
A song is a story. Stories are enchanting. There are two no-prep printable teaching resources for Qi Xi.
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Song Lyrics in traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, pinyin, and English translation.
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Chinese Reader: A Short Story of Qi Xi in Chinese
Chinese for Kids: Sing a Chinese Song with Jon Bon Jovi
月亮代表我的心 = Yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn – The Moon Represents My Heart.
This song is originally performed by 鄧麗君[邓丽君]= Dèng lì jūn, Teresa Deng in Taiwan. Teresa broke the barrier between Taiwan and China years ago with her beautiful voice. This video has lyrics in Pinyin and simplified Chinese characters. Try it with kids of all ages!
Sing a Chinese Song – lyrics in pinyin and simplified Chinese characters
Story Time – Story of Qi Xi with audio in English.
Story of Qi Xi in Mandarin with subtitles in Traditional Chinese Characters.
Culture Activity: Chinese Ribbon Dance
Cultures That Have Similar Cultural Festivals Like Qi Xi or Valentine’s Day
1. Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the U.S., UK, France (La Saint-Valentin), Italy (La Festa degli Innamorati), and Spain (Dia de los Enamorados).
2. Japan celebrates White Day on March 14, and it is similar to Valentine’s Day in the U.S. Do you know that South Korea also celebrates White Day?
3. Brazil has its version of Valentine’s Day, and it is called Dia dos Namorados. It is celebrated on June 12.
4. Iran has the festival of Mehregan, a celebration of love, friendship, and the autumn harvest. This festival takes place in late September or early October.
5. Thailand celebrates the festival of Loy Krathong. It is in November and is a celebration of love and the end of the monsoon season. The tradition is that couples often float lotus-shaped offerings on rivers and lakes to symbolize their love and let go of any negative feelings. Is that a lovely tradition?
6. Finland has the festival of Juhannus. It is also known as Midsummer, and it is celebrated in late June. It’s a time for couples to express their love and appreciation for each other and to enjoy the summer solstice.
7. Last but not least, we want to touch on India. You may know the Hindu festival of Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors. This cultural festival comes in late February or early March. Do you know it is a celebration of spring and a celebration of love?
Qi Xi Expressions in Chinese
| English | Pinyin | Traditional Chinese | Simplified Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qi Xi | Qīxī | 七夕 | 七夕 |
| Happy Qi Xi | Qīxī kāixīn | 七夕開心 | 七夕开心 |
| Cowherd and Weaver Girl | Niúláng Zhīnǚ | 牛郎織女 | 牛郎织女 |
| Magpie | Xǐquè | 喜鵲 | 喜鹊 |
| The 7th day of the 7th lunar month is Qi Xi. | Nónglì de qī yuè qī rì shì Qīxī. | 農曆的七月七日是七夕。 | 农历的七月七日是七夕。 |
| Daughter’s Day | Nǚ’ér Jié | 女兒節 | 女儿节 |
| Begging for Skills (Qiqiao custom) | Qǐqiǎo | 乞巧 | 乞巧 |
| What is Qiqiao? | Qǐqiǎo shì shénme? | 乞巧是什麼？ | 乞巧是什么？ |
| The Moon Represents My Heart (song title) | Yuèliàng dàibiǎo wǒ de xīn | 月亮代表我的心 | 月亮代表我的心 |
I hope you enjoy the story of Chinese Valentine’s Day – Qi Xi 七夕, activities, and learning about Valentine’s Day around the world. Be curious and explore further!
Happy Qi Xil! = 七夕快樂！= Qī xì kuài lè!
Video resource courtesy of YouTube and its original copyright owners.