This Friday marks Qixi Festival, the Valentine’s in China. There will be a ceremony by the West Lake that incorporates the traditions of Song-era weddings, offering a truly refined experience. What’s more, visitors wearing traditional Hanfu that day will get free admission to the Chenghuang Pavilion to join it with the newly weds.

According to the scenic area, the event will kick off at Maoxiang Shuiqing with a traditional “on-water boating” - the bride and groom dressed in exquisite Song-style wedding attire will step hand-in-hand into a boat. It stands for a lifelong journey together with the better half as the boat glides across the waters. The couple will then arrive at the Chenghuang Pavilion to continue with rituals such as exchanging flowers, tying a lock of hair, and pledging vows with jade pendants, making their commitment feel both timeless and sacred. After the ceremony, a banquet alive with traditional dishes will be served. The festive vibe will continue with activities like hanging blessing plaques, ringing a luck bell, and tossing an embroidered ball. Everyone will get soaked up into the joyful event.

This is more than just a ceremony - it’s a dialogue with a thousand-year-old cultural legacy. The organizer hopes they could, during the Qixi Festival, offer the public a way to spend a moment full of traditions.

As a treat for our readers, the phone app Hangzhou News has partnered with the Chenghuang Pavilion to offer a chance to take part in this beautiful, fun, and delicious Song-style wedding. Winners will enjoy free entry to the Pavilion, participate in fun activities, and try dishes at a traditional wedding banquet - all about making this a Qixi Festival to remember.