Day August 9 this year marks Chinese Valentine Day, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

The festival came into form based on a fairy tale in China: the romance between Niu Lang, represented by the star Altair, and Zhi Nv, represented by the star Vega.

In the story, the couple lives on opposite sides of the Milky Way and the only time they can be together – on a bridge formed by flying magpies - is on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

The fairy tale is commemorated on stamps issued by post offices in many provinces around China.