Niulang, a poor cowherd, and Zhinu, the celestial Weaver Girl, fell in love and married in secret on earth, living together in bliss until heaven discovered their union and tore them apart across the Milky Way.
When the Jade Emperor discovered Zhinu's secret marriage to the mortal cowherd Niulang, Xiwangmu tore her golden hairpin across the sky, carving the Silver River between the lovers and condemning them to opposite banks — save one night each year, when magpies build a bridge across the stars.
⚠ Some versions attribute the separation to the Jade Emperor as Zhinu's father; others to Xiwangmu as her grandmother or celestial mistress. The folk tradition most commonly credits Xiwangmu with the hairpin that carved the Milky Way.
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