On Aug 25, some of the more traditional members of the Chinese community observe the Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine’s Day, which celebrates the love of Zhinu and Niulang, a goddess and a cowherd, whose bond could not be broken, even when they were physically parted.
On this day, it may be a good idea to surprise your significant other with a special something to affirm your love for them.
Apart from the legend of Zhinu and Niulang, Chinese folklore has many other beautiful and tragic love stories that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Among these tales is that of the Butterfly Lovers, a story sometimes compared to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Historical references to this legend stretch as far back as the Eastern Jin Dynasty (265-420AD) and it has been retold many times over in plays, operas, films and songs.
So, what is it about this romantic and tragic story that pulls at the heartstrings?
The Juliet of this story was a young, intelligent beauty named Zhu Yingtai, the ninth child and the only daughter of her wealthy family.
She had many natural gifts, but women at that time were highly restricted in terms of education opportunities. They were simply meant to be good wives and mothers.
Not content, the gifted Zhu convinced her father to let her attend classes in the coastal city of Hangzhou, disguised as a man. On her way there, she happened to meet a young scholar named Liang Shanbo who, coincidentally, was en route to take the same classes she was.
They struck up a conversation and found themselves to be compatible with one another, eventually swearing an oath of brotherhood to cement their new friendship. For the next three years, the two studied together and Zhu began to develop feelings for Liang.
Comically, despite all the time they spent together, Liang, ever the bookworm, remained oblivious to his best friend’s true gender.
One day, a letter arrived from Zhu’s home town, telling her she had to return as her mother was gravely ill.
Her heart was heavy, but she had already decided that it belonged to Liang and she wanted to be with him for the rest of her days. Unhappy to see her leave, Liang travelled 29km with her to see her off safely, during which time Zhu dropped hints about her true identity, which still eluded Liang.
She compared the two of them to a pair of Mandarin ducks; the monogamous birds being a symbol of love in Chinese culture.
Finally, frustrated that he was still not catching on, Zhu told Liang that she had a beautiful sister at home whom he ought to visit some time. Liang promised to do so and kept his word, and only then did he discover the truth about his sworn brother. He overcame his shock quickly and vowed to love and cherish her as long as he lived.
Unfortunately for the two of them, their relationship was not meant to be as Zhu’s father had already betrothed her to another wealthy man. Upon hearing this, Liang was heartbroken and he died an early and abrupt death.
On the day of her wedding, the grieving Zhu begged for permission to pay her respects at the grave of her true love and there, her tears fell onto the grave. A storm struck and she begged the heavens to open the grave so she could reunite with Liang one last time. Her prayer was answered as the grave opened with a clap of thunder and she jumped in without a moment’s hesitation.
Out of the open grave fluttered two beautiful butterflies, flapping their wings gracefully and close to each other as they drifted off into the now clear sky together.
These were the spirits of Liang and Zhu, now free to fly wherever they wanted and to be with each other always.