Happy Qixi Festival! It is China's version of Valentine's Day. So let's feel the pleasure of falling in love, oriental style. Even for just a day by watching sweet modern romance C-Drama that tickles the heart 💓
By the way, Qixi Festival, also known as the Qiqiao Festival, is a celebration of romance, love, and affection in Chinese culture. It is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month in the traditional Chinese calendar.
In Chinese, qi means 'seven(th)', xi means 'sunset(s)', and jie 'festival', so it's literally the 'Seventh Sunset Festival'.
The Qixi Festival is often described as the Chinese celebration of love equivalent to Valentine's Day in Western culture. It is derived from Chinese mythology about the annual meeting of ill-fated lovers, Zhinü, a cowherd, and Niulang, a weaver girl. Detail about this legend is at the bottom of this post.
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| Joseph Zeng and Liang Jie in Hi Venus (2022) |
So to mark this special day for lovers in Chinese culture, here is a selection of modern romantic Chinese dramas that give us all the feels about falling in love.
1. Hi Venus (2022) - This romance C-Drama earned an excellent rating in Douban of 8.0 and went on to become one of the highest-rated C-dramas in 2022. So this is a good watch.
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| Liang Jie and Joseph Zeng in Hi Venus |
The story follows Ye Shi Lan (played by Liang Jie), a pediatrician working in a remote village. She has been waiting for her notice to return to An Xing Hospital.
One day, Shi Lan has an unusual encounter with Lu Zhao Xi (played by Joseph Zeng), the newly elected CEO of An Xing Hospital. Due to a mistaken identity mix-up, Shi Lan does not believe Zhao Xi is the new CEO, leading to a rocky start to their relationship.
Later on, Shi Lan returns to An Xing Hospital and is assigned to be Zhao Xi’s temporary assistant. The two end up putting the past behind them and begin to develop mutual respect and understanding for each other.
2. You Are My Hero (2021) - This is a policeman and a doctor romance story that will remind you about Descendants of the Sun, only that You Are My Hero is light-hearted with a good sense of humor.
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| Bai Jingting and Sandra Ma |
It follows the story of Mi Ka (played by Sandra Ma) who was taken hostage during a robbery at a jewelry store. She was saved by Ke Lei (played by Bai Jingting), the captain of a SWAT team dispatched to control the situation. He wore a mask so Mi Ka could only see his eyes
Two years later, Mi Ka works as a doctor and has to undergo a fitness and emergency course led by Ke Lei and his team. Ke Lei is able to recognize her as the woman she saved in the robbery incident but Mi Ka has no idea. Later, as they often encounter due to the nature of their job, Ke Lei begins to find himself attracted to Mi Ka and also she to him.
3. Meet Yourself (2023) - This is the highest-rated modern romance C-Drama this year in Douban, China's most influential drama rating platform. Local viewers in China were impressed with the fresh story and the positive values it gives to people.
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| Li Xian and Liu Yifei |
It follows the story of Xu Hong Dou (played by Liu Yi Fei), a corporate woman who used to live in a big city, but when her life hits a sudden bump after the death of her best friend, her work suffers. She decides to take a break from the high-paced urban lifestyle and heads out to a remote village near Dali, in Yunnan Province – in search of peace and stillness.
She meets Xie Zhi Yao (played by Li Xian). He has quit a well-paid job to start a tourism business that showcases the beauty of his home two. Xu Hong Dou soon realizes that she can put her own hotel industry knowledge to good use by helping him. Joseph Zeng has a cameo role here.
4. Meeting You (2020). This drama is one of my favorite campus youth series from mainland China. Apart from its cute romance story between teenagers, it has a positive message about teens who suffer from anxiety disorder. So this is a must-watched drama for the youth.
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| Wan Peng and Guo Junchen |
It tells the story of Nan Xi (played by Guo Junchen) who was born a genius but finds it hard to express himself due to his social anxiety disorder. Meeting people dreaded him and he struggled all his life to find his place in a world that always felt too big.
Until he meets Xia Rui (played by Wan Peng), his bubbly and talkative classmate who is always surrounded by friends. Through the encouragement of Xia Rui, Nan Xi slowly comes out from his shell and the two also falls in love.
5. Falling Into You (2022) - This drama has plenty of cute scenes and sweet moments. It tells the story of an athlete who falls in love with his coach.
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| Jin Chen and Wang Anyu |
Yu Cheng (Wang An Yu) dreams to become a High Jumper athlete but lacks the necessary height to fulfill his dream. Fully aware of the fact that he needs professional guidance, Yu Cheng hopes to enlist the help of experienced athletics assistant, Luo Na (Jin Chen).
With plans to enroll at the university where Luo Na coaches, Yu Cheng hopes to land a spot on Luo Na's team and employ her expertise to make his dreams of high jumping come true.
6. Accidentally In Love (2018) - This is another youth romance that will make your heart flutters. It follows Chen Qing Qing (Amy Sun), an heiress who runs away from her wealthy grandfather and unwanted marriage to find her true love on her own terms.
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| Amy Sun and Guo Junchen |
Because she is pursued by her grandfather's employees, she has to use a series of disguises and fake names, which create comedic situations. She later stumbles on Situ Feng (Guo Junchen), who goes by the stage name of Your Highness.
Situ Feng is an arrogant, cold, top musical star. He is ambivalent about fame and has a hostile relationship with his father. They clash initially but soon develop deeper feelings, and while this is happening, Qing Qing seeks answers about her parents’ demise and hopes for true love.
7. Find Yourself (2020) - This is an older woman-younger man relationship but the story is sweet and romantic.
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| Song Weilong and Victoria Song |
It follows He Fan Xing (Victoria Song), a successful career woman in her thirties. She has yet to settle because she has not found her true love. She still lives with her parents and her younger twin brother He Can Yang (Zhang Yu Jian), an art professor.
One of Can Yang’s students is Yuan Song (Song Wei Long), a handsome young guy, 10 years younger than He Fan Xing. Yuan Song interns at Fan Xing’s company and eventually embarks on an emotionally intense romance.
8. Put Your Head on My Shoulder (2019) - One of C-dramas cutest romance series. It follows the story of Si Tu Mo (Xing Fei), an accounting student, is about to graduate but unsure about her future plans.
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| Lin Yi and Xing Fei |
She likes Fu Pei (Tang Xiaotian), her childhood friend, but is constantly disappointed by his indecisiveness and unreliability. Si Tu Mo, on the other hand, tries out all sorts of things all the time, but is unable to make her own decisions.
Her routine is suddenly shaken up when she meets a physics student, Gu Wei Yi (Lin Yi). While living at the dorm, she is forced by her mother to move into an apartment coincidentally owned by Gu Wei Yi's mother. Unknown to them, their mothers were classmates who thought their two children would make a good match and set them up. Before they know it, the matched couple begins to fall in love.
9. A Love So Beautiful (2017) - This is a youth drama that will make you feel like you’re falling in love again. It follows Chen Xiao Xi (Shen Yue), a happy-go-lucky girl who doesn’t like to study much but she has a talent for drawing. She falls head over heels in love with Jiang Chen (Hu Yi Tian).
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| Shen Yue and Hu Yi Tian |
But Jiang Chen was indifferent and cold to her confession. How Jiang Chen finally realizes his feelings for Chen Xiaoxi is a beautiful journey of love you would definitely want to embark also.
10. My Little Happiness (2021) - This drama is a reunion of Put Your Head on My Shoulders co-stars. The story follows Cong Rong (Xing Fei) who has long dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but her mother is absolutely determined to see her daughter study finance abroad.
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| Tang Xiao Tian and Xing Fei |
Hoping that her daughter will successfully settle down somewhere overseas, Cong Rong’s mother won’t take “no” for an answer.
After successfully convincing her mother that she has set off for distant lands, Cong Rong secretly returns home to begin work as a legal intern. Taking on her first case, Cong Rong comes face-to-face with her childhood friend, Wen Shao Qing (Tang Xiao Tian). Now a surgeon, Shao Qing isn’t just Cong Rong’s client, he is also his landlord and neighbor.
Happy binge-watching this day of romance and love in the Chinese culture!
According to Chinese mythology, in the celestial realm, Niulang and Zhinü, fell deeply in love. However, the laws of heaven forbade their union.
Upon hearing the secret meeting, the grandmother of Zhinü, called the Queen Mother, punished her by forcing her to weave beautiful clouds as her daily task.
While her lover, Niulang, was sent down to Earth to become a farmer. On earth, Niulang grew up as an orphan, enduring mistreatment from his brother and sister-in-law. He had only an old ox as his companion, working hard in the fields to barely make ends meet.
However, with the help of the ox (a demoted cattle god), Niulang and Zhinü finally reunited on earth, got married, and had a son and a daughter.
Upon discovering their secret, the furious Queen Mother took Zhinü back to heaven and separated the couple by a river of stars (the Milky Way), but magpies were allowed to form a bridge for them to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
Their yearly meeting on the day of the Qixi Festival remains a testament to their enduring love. Qixi festival has been celebrated since the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD).
Here's the difference between the Qixi Festival and Valentine's day in Western Culture.
Although the traditional celebration is slowly disappearing in modern times, it is still widely observed in China the way people in the West celebrate Valentine's Day (February 14). However, the Qixi Festival is not officially recognized as a public holiday in mainland China.
Chinese celebrate Qixi festival by exchanging gifts, giving flowers, chocolates, jewelry, handmade crafts, and other presents, with their loved ones.
They also enjoy romantic dates that may include special outings, scenic walks, or intimate dinners, rather than strictly adhering to traditional customs.
This year, 2023, the Qixi festival falls on August 22. And while Valentine's Day in the West is fixed on the 14th of February, Qixi festival changes each year because the date varies each year in accordance with the Chinese lunar calendar.
The Qixi Festival and Valentine's Day are both celebrations of love, but they originate from different cultural traditions and have distinctive characteristics.
Valentine's Day commemorates the death of St. Valentine, a Christian martyr who performed weddings for soldiers, which was prohibited during early times in Rome as soldiers were supposed to be singles. He was executed for such an act and died a martyr.
The Qixi Festival has its roots in Chinese folklore and mythology. It is mostly celebrated in East Asian countries, such as China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Valentine's Day has Western origins that can be traced back to ancient Roman and Christian traditions. It is widely celebrated around the world.
Traditions of the Qixi Festival include making wishes and paying homage to mythical lovers. Activities like stargazing, creating shaped fruit, and praying for love and happiness are also part of the celebrations.
Wishing everyone a happy Qixi Festival filled with love, romance, and beautiful moments.
May your love be as profound as Niulang and Zhinü's romantic legend. Happy Qixi Festival!
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