Guangzhou Qi Qiao Traditional Culture Festival

 

Qi Qiao cloth dolls in Guangzhou [lifeofguangzhou.com]

 

Qi Qiao Festival, also called the Double Seventh Festival, is cerebrated on the 7th day of the 7th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. This Chinese Valentine's Day is a festival of romance.

Qi Qiao is considered a big event in Guangdong. There have been special cerebrations for the festival ever since the Ming and Qing dynasty (about 1368 to 1840) in Guangzhou's Zhu village (珠村). However, all the celebrations ceased as a result of war among other reasons, but were revived by senior villagers in the village in 1998.

The Qi Qiao event will last for a total of six days with many traditional ceremonies performed in the Zhu village.  

Traditional ceremonies for the Qi Qiao Festival:

Bai Qi Liang 摆七娘

On the night before the festival (6th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar), females will place an old Chinese square table in front of the house or in the middle of the living room, burn incense, the best sandalwood and put self-made handicrafts on the table. There are also some flowers, fruits and cosmetics displayed for visitors. This is called Bai Qi Liang, which means putting out your best stuff to welcome the Qi Qiao Festival.

 

 

Bai Qi Liang [lifeofguangzhou.com]

 

Bai Xian 拜仙

Bai Xian means worship the immortals. On the nights of 6th and 7th days of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, females in Zhu village dress beautifully, burn incense and worship the immortals seven times to pray for a happy life.

 

 

Bai Xian [lifeofguangzhou.com]

 

Qi Qiao 乞巧

After worship, women will come up to the Xiu building holding cotton and needles. They thread a needle in the moonlight to foretell their future; this is called Qi Qiao. If the woman can thread 7 needles at a time, she wins the Qiao, if not, she loses the Qiao.

 

 

Qi Qiao [lifeofguangzhou.com]

 

Time: Aug 18th – Aug 23rd (6th day – 11th day of 7th month of the lunar calendar), 2007
Venue: Guangzhou Zhu village Qi Xi Plaza 广州珠村七夕广场
Bus: No. 210, 23, 242, 507, 50, 560, 561, 568, 571A, 883, 576, 41.

(reported by Carrot Chan, Alan Devey, photographed by Carrot Chan)

Source: www.lifeofguangzhou.com

Editor: Carrot Chan