The name of the weaver girl in Chinese mythology is Zhinü. She is the celestial weaver in the love story usually called The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.
Zhinü is commonly identified with Vega, the bright star in the constellation Lyra. Her beloved, Niulang, the cowherd, is identified with Altair. The Milky Way represents the Heavenly River separating them after their marriage angers the celestial authorities.
According to the best-known version, magpies form a bridge across the river once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. This reunion is celebrated during Qixi, the Chinese Qixi Festival, which is sometimes called Chinese Valentine's Day.
Zhinü is often confused with Chang'e, the moon goddess, or Mazu, a sea goddess. Bai Suzhen belongs to the Legend of the White Snake, another famous Chinese tale. The story's earliest known literary reference is associated with the Classic of Poetry, more than two millennia ago.