The legend of Cowherd and Weaver Maid

When ancient Chinese people gazed at the sky, they found that the Milky Way appeared like a big river in the sky, which they called the Heavenly River. At either end of the Heavenly River, were the stars Altair and Vega. According to legend, a fairy from the heavens named Zhinu (Weaver Maid) fell in love with a cowherd named Niulang, and the pair secretly married. This offended the Queen of Heaven, who banished them to opposite ends of the Heavenly River. Every year on the seventh day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar, a flock of magpies is said to fly into the sky and form a bridge allowing them to meet. This Chinese folktale gradually became a popular story among the people.