Photo: LIM BENG TATT/The Star
THE annual Qixi Festival drew large crowds to the Seng Hong Beow Temple in George Town as devotees gathered to uphold the cultural tradition of seeking romance, soulmates and lasting relationships.
Ongoing renovation works and heavy rain did not stop devotees from converging at the 160-year-old temple on Jalan CY Choy.
Temple caretaker Yeoh Siau Ming, 80, said hundreds of devotees had come since as early as 6.30am on Friday (Aug 29) to say their prayers.
"Many of them were regulars and quite a handful were first-timers too," she said, adding that devotees came to pray for love, relationships and prosperity.
Yeoh said that in previous years, thousands of devotees would show up.
The temple has been under renovation since March and the work is expected to continue until the end of next year, she added.
The temple will be open to the public until 6.30pm Friday for the festival.
Qixi, also known as the Qiqiao festival, is a celebration of romantic love, often considered the traditional Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day.
It takes place on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month and honours the annual meeting of the mythological lovers Zhinu, the weaver girl, and Niulang, the cowherd.
One of China’s longest-standing traditions, the festival has been celebrated since the Han Dynasty and is rooted in a legend over 2,600 years old.
