Three-day festival celebrates Chinese Valentine's Day in Chongqing

A cultural and tourism festival to celebrate Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine's Day, which fell on a Saturday, began in Rongchang District, southwest China's Chongqing on Friday evening.

The three-day event will be held in Wanling Ancient Town, Grass Linen Town, Antao Pottery Town and Gufo Mountain in Rongchang. Thirteen traditional activities, such as floating river lanterns, fireworks, matchmaking, Hanfu parade and intangible cultural heritage fair, will be held.

In Chinese mythology, the Qixi Festival – the seventh day of the seventh lunar month – celebrates the annual meeting of Niulang, a cowherd, and Zhinyu, a weaver girl. According to legend, the two lovers travel across the Milky Way and walk down a bridge formed by magpies to be reunited.

Rongchang, formerly known as Changzhou, was founded in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and has a history of over 1,200 years. In 2022, it was officially recognized as a historical and cultural city of Chongqing.