The Double-Seventh Festival

The Double-Seventh Festival

Nominating Unit: City of Guangzhou

People in Guangzhou call the Double-Seventh Festival(Chinese Valentine’s Day) the “Qijiedan”or “Qiniangdan” (means the birthday of the youngest daughter of Empress of the West). Sometimes it’s also called “Bai Qiniang” (means worshipping the youngest daughter of Empress of the West).Originated from the Qing Dynasty, the Double-Seventh Festival has been attached great importance by Guangzhou people. A poet in the Song Dynasty whose name is Liu Kezhuang said in his poem that “The Double-Seventh Festival is appreciated by Guangdong people, who celebrate the day from dusk to dawn.” It was particularly prevalent at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China. A scholar called Hu Pu’an compiled in his The National Customs Records Guangzhou women’s worshipping customs of “Qijie” at the end of the Qing Dynasty. He made detailed descriptions about the scene of “Baiqiao(showing delicate food and crafts)” during the Double-Seventh Festival. There’re even some markets selling women’s properties for the Double-Seventh Festival, such as “Shangjiufu”, “Xiajiufu”, “Dishifu”,“Shiliufu” and so on in Guangzhou. Nowadays, the Double-Seventh Festival is prevalent in Tianhe District, Panyu District, Huangpu District, and other places of Guangzhou, among which the Zhucun Village of Tianhe District holds the most concentrated and largest activities during the Double-Seventh Festival.(https://www.daowen.com)

Traditional “Baiqiniang” in Guangzhou is divided into two forms, namely the “Small Baiqiniang”and the “Big Baiqiniang”. The “Small Baiqiniang” is relatively simpler in form and carried out at home by one or several households together. While the “Big Baiqiniang” is held only once every few years in a large shrine, and preparations must be made a few months in advance. Both the activities of “Big Baiqiniang”and the “Small Baiqiniang” can be broadly summarized in four types. The first one is “Baiqiao”or “Baiqiniang”, which means to show delicate food and crafts, such as vegetable towers, sesame candies, the scenery of the Piebridge, Qiniang Plates, Qixi Figures and so on. The techniques of the production can be categorized into “building” and “binding”. The main materials used for “building” are grain, rice, millet, beans, sesame, fruit, nuts, shells, branches and skins of vegetation, scale, sells, wool and leather of animal, textiles and so on. While the main materials for “binding” are bamboos, wires, colorful papers, cardboards, raw silk and so on. “Baiqiao” starts in the afternoon of July 6th of the lunar calendar and fi nishes on July 8th of the lunar calendar. It lasts for three days with only unmarried women as female participants of the activity. The second one is “worshipping goddess” or “worshipping Qiniang”. In the past, during the period of “Baiqiniang”, there were a small party for women participated in the activities, which deepened the friendship between the participants and got them blessed by “Qiniang”. As for the rich large families,“worshipping Qiniang” was held in their own house . They would invite girls in the village to their house to watch the Drums and Gongs shows. Currently, the Zhucun Village has still retained the two traditional activities during the Double-Seventh Festival. Those activities are held in even larger scale with some changes such as inviting all the people, men and women of a family the party.

The Zhucun Village as well as “Bai Qiniang” and other customs of The Double-Seventh Festival are eloquent proofs for the close relationship between ancient Lingnan culture to the culture and customs of Central Plains. The customs had a complete set of procedures, rituals which are still in practice nowadays. Especially those activities held among young women, such as micro characters making, “Baiqiao” and“Saiqiao (needle threading contest)” are the most prominent feature of the customs which fully reflect women’s wishes for showing their talents and self-awakening of some sort. It is of great value for folkloristics, sociology, cultural studies as well as fine arts and crafts. However, because of the ecological degradation of folk culture, the customs have been in the crisis of poor inheritance. Therefore, prompt rescue and proper protection for the customs should be granted.