In this bittersweet story by Ken Liu, the myth behind China’s annual Qixi Festival comes to life to help two young women in love face a forced separation. On the eve before parting, flocks of magpies magically appear to transport them to the ‘bridge’ upon which the Qixi lovers meet once a year. The message they receive from the mythical couple is that if one loves someone and moves on, their love remains true no matter how many times they fall in love with others. Themes include culture, tradition, change (Westernization/commercialism), love, separation, moving on, sexuality, the supernatural.
Original Text / PDF (6,150 words)