七夕节：新加坡曾经拥有的神话与现实

The Qixi Festival, which tells the poignant classic of the brief reunion of the Cowherd and the Weaver Fairy on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, was one of the most important traditional Chinese festivals for girls and women in Singapore, especially among the Cantonese. During its heyday, over 100 Milky Way Associations, based mostly in Ngau Ce Seoi, organised celebrations with beautiful displays of miniatures and crafts, attracting throngs of visitors from all walks of life. This time-honoured festival, however, has faded from public consciousness since the 1970s.

This is the first comprehensive bilingual book about the Qixi Festival in Singapore. Besides looking into ancient Chinese texts to trace the origins and developments of the festival, it examines the customs brought over by early Chinese women migrants to Singapore since the mid-19th century. This book honours our foremothers, such as the Majies, Samsui women, female factory workers, as well as women in clan associations and individual households, for whom the festival was an important part of their social lives. It also investigates how the festival went from heyday to mayday in Singapore, juxtaposed with the festival's trajectories in other countries. Drawing from ethnographic research and oral history interviews with diverse stakeholders, it further synthesises views from the community on how the Qixi Festival, once a significant part of our collective heritage, can be revived.