Qixi Festival: How to Celebrate Chinese Valentine’s Day
Seven Sisters Temple and various locations ,
Why We Recommend it
Falling on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, this year’s Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, is celebrated on 19 August.
Description
Known as Chinese Valentine’s Day and Seven Sister Festival, in 2026 the Qixi Festival falls on 19 August, celebrating a love tale dating back to more than 2,000 years ago.
The name Seven Sisters refers to the seven daughters of the Chinese deity, the Jade Emperor (Juk6 Wong4 玉皇). The festival’s romantic origins stem from the tale of two lovers: Zhinu, the youngest of the seven sisters and a weaver, and Niulang, a cattle herder.
Legend has it that the two fell in love, but their union was strongly opposed by the Jade Emperor, who forcibly separated them with the Milky Way. They were allowed to meet only once a year, on the Magpie Bridge in heaven, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
Over time, the story gave rise to a festival in which young women pray to the deities for skills such as weaving to secure a good husband. Today, only a handful of temples celebrate the festival in Hong Kong. The best known is the Seven Sister Temple in Peng Chau, where worshippers present offerings to the deity the night before the festival.
Details
When: 19 Aug 2026 - 19 Aug 2026 Where: Seven Sisters Temple and various locations
