Qixi Festival
01 · Historical Records
In the late years of the Qing dynasty, Guangzhou saw the formation of qiqiao street markets devoted exclusively to women's articles, such as the Shangjiufu, Xiajiufu and Dishifu shopping streets.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
On the day of the Qixi Festival, the community organises the ceremony of 'Worshipping the Seventh Sister' (Bai Qiniang); the objects of worship include not only the two stars of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, but also the six sisters of the Weaver Girl. The display of handicrafts by the women of the community forms the main content of the 'Displaying Skill' (Baiqiao) activity. Puppet figures of folk legends and historical tales are made vividly lifelike, models of plants and utensils are made true to life, participants vie in wit and skill and give full play to their talents, and 'threading a needle by the shadow' (Duiying Chuanzhen) continues the ancient style. Community theatre troupes also perform the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. The 'Birthday of the Seventh Sister' (Qijiedan) qiqiao custom is also popular in Macau and in Southeast Asia. In the Tianhe area qiqiao is organised by the community as its unit, and the name 'Birthday of the Seventh Sister' is equally current in Panyu, Huangpu and elsewhere. On the day of worshipping the Seventh Sister, the neighbours join in setting up the decorated tower, and the statue of the Seventh Sister within it is treated with special reverence; those worshipped are not only the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl but also the six sisters of the Weaver Girl, so offerings must be prepared in several sets, with fruits, qiaoguo pastries, fresh flowers, tea and wine laid out in corresponding quantities. The 'Displaying Skill' section best reveals craftsmanship: the women of the community publicly exhibit the skills they have honed in daily life — dough modelling, sculpture, paper cutting and flower arrangement each showing its own artistry — and the figures made to suit stories attract the most attention, from the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl to townsfolk, all in a spirit of harmony. 'Threading a needle by the shadow' is mostly held under lamplight, where light and shadow mirror one another and the needle's eye is a single thin line — a direct rendering of the old meaning of skill. Community theatre troupes separately stage the Cowherd and Weaver Girl story in ancestral halls or assembly halls, running alongside the skill displays; the onlookers are at once audience and judges, and by the end of the day it is settled whose hands are the more skilful and whose dough figures the more charming.
The rite for the seventh lady
A decorated loft is raised for the seventh lady and her six sisters, with women making the offerings before the community shares the fruit and cakes.
Displaying handiwork
The women of the neighbourhood put their craft on show — dough figures, sculpture, paper cutting and flower work.
Threading by lamplight
Needles are threaded against the lamplight, the thread then hung at the door or tossed upward to seal the wish.
Celebrating with qiqiao fruit
Qiqiao fruit, sesame cakes and festive pastries are exchanged among kin, and street stalls bring them out for the day.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
In the Tianhe, Panyu and Huangpu districts of Guangzhou, the Qixi qiqiao festival is called 'Birthday of the Seventh Sister' (Qijiedan), also known as 'Qiniangdan', 'Displaying the Seventh Sister' and 'Worshipping the Seventh Sister'; it is a continuation of the ancient Lingnan qiqiao folk custom. The qiqiao street markets of the Guangzhou area were formerly concentrated around Shangjiufu, Xiajiufu and Dishifu, selling exclusively women's needlework and all manner of ingenious articles, and forming a market scene in which buying skill, displaying skill and playing with skill were combined. Today the qiqiao of the Tianhe, Panyu and Huangpu districts is mostly held on community squares, in assembly halls and before ancestral halls; though smaller in scale than the markets of old, the participants still come mainly from the neighbourhood itself. The custom also survives in Macau and in the overseas Chinese settlements of Southeast Asia, where it is likewise called Qijiedan or Qiniangdan.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Qixi Festival · Qixi Festival · Qixi Festival · Qixi Festival.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Passing on and protecting this heritage is of great significance for carrying forward the fine traditions of the Chinese nation and strengthening the sense of identity and cohesion of the Chinese nation; it also holds value for folkloric research.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Chen Qicai 04-1956
- Xi Lanlan
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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