Zhinü (“Weaver Girl”) is an ancient Chinese star name, also known as Tiansun (“Granddaughter of Heaven”). It refers to an asterism of three stars arranged in a triangular formation, located on the western side of the Milky Way, directly opposite the Niulang (Cowherd) stars on the eastern bank.
In Chinese mythology, Zhinü is portrayed as the granddaughter of the Jade Emperor (or Heavenly Emperor), a celestial maiden renowned for her exceptional skill in weaving clouds and heavenly robes. According to the legend, she fell in love with and married Niulang, a mortal cowherd (or a banished celestial being, depending on the version). After their marriage, she neglected her divine duty of weaving the celestial fabric, which maintained the order of the heavens.
Enraged by this dereliction, the Heavenly Emperor (or sometimes the Queen Mother of the West) forcibly separated the couple, placing them on opposite banks of the Milky Way – the “Celestial River.” Moved by their devotion, however, he relented slightly and decreed that they could reunite once a year, on the seventh night of the seventh lunar month. On that night, magpies are said to form a living bridge – the Magpie Bridge (Queqiao) – across the Milky Way, enabling their brief, poignant meeting.
This myth forms the core of the Qixi Festival, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day, and has been referenced in classical poetry since at least the Han dynasty (e.g., in the Nineteen Old Poems). Astronomically, Zhinü corresponds to the bright star Vega, while Niulang is identified with Altair.
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