Couples throw up bundles of flowers during a group wedding ceremony in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, Aug. 2, 2014. The Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine's day, which falls on Aug. 2 this year, originates from a folk tale about a fairy falling in love with a mortal. The marriage allegedly enraged the Goddess of Heaven, who created the Milky Way to separate them. Supposedly, the pair of lovers are reunited for a single night each year by magpies that fly into the heavens and form a bridge for them to cross. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong) |