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Niu Lang Zhi Nv: Cowherd and Girl Weaver

The story of the cowherd and the weaver girl is one of the four most popular love stories
in ancient China. It is said that when the cowherd, Niu lang, was still a child, his parents
died. His brother and sister-in-law took most of the family property and left to Niu Lang
only an old cow. Now, he had nothing to depend on but the old cow. One day, to Niu lang’s
surprise, the old cow opened its mouth and told Niu lang to go to the bank of the river.
According to the cow, several fairies were bathing in the river. She asked Niu lang to
steal the red dress on the bank and hide it. He followed the instruction and came to
know the owner of the red dress, Zhi nv, the granddaughter of Wang Mu Niang Niang,
or the Goddess of Heaven. Niu Lang and Zhi Nv got married without the knowledge of
the Goddess. They lived happily and had two children.

As soon as she found out this, the Goddess ordered the troops from the Heaven to bring
Zhi Nv back. Under the guidance of the cow, Niu Lang killed the cow, put on its hide and
carried his two beloved children in a basket off th Heaven to look for Zhi Nv. In the moment
when Niu Lang was about to catch Zhi Nv, the Goddess took out her hairpin and scratched
a wide river in the sky to separate the two lovers forever. Later, Niu Lang and Zhi Nv became
two stars, the Altair and Vega, at the two sides of the milky way. Later, out of pity the Goddess
of Heaven allowed them gather together for a single night once a year on the seventh day of
the seventh lunar month. It is said that on this day each year, all the magpies in the world
would fly up to heaven to form a bridge over the milky way so the lovers could meet on the
bridge.

On the basis of this story, Chinese people created many decorative patterns with the image
of Niu Lang (the cowherd) and Zhi Nv (the girl weaver). Commonly seen patterns are about
the two lovers’ meet on the bridge or how Zhi Nv landed on earth secretly and married Niu
Lang. They are mostly seen on furniture, embroideries, porcelains, engravings, embossments,
etc as a symbol of conjugal affection and fidelity. If you wanna know more Chinese fairy tales,
you can come to Chinese Mandarin training School in Qingdao, learning Chinese and listening
Chinese fairy tales.

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