Tang Palace plays matchmaker as Huaqing Palace brings young singles together

Xi'an's Huaqing Palace has turned a traditional Qixi Festival celebration into an immersive matchmaking experience, bringing more than 100 young singles into a Tang Dynasty-style wedding procession and social event designed to help them meet and connect.

The event, part of the 17th Chinese Qixi Festival celebration at Huaqing Palace, combines traditional wedding rituals with interactive activities tailored to young people, transforming the historic palace into a real-life "Magpie Bridge" — a reference to the legendary bridge that brings the separated lovers Cowherd and Weaver Girl together on Qixi.

Participants joined a Tang-style wedding procession featuring traditional ceremonies such as the groom's leave-taking and the passing of a felt mat, before witnessing a formal wedding ceremony at the Palace of Eternal Life. Other activities included poetry exchanges, pitch-pot games, traditional handicrafts, tea appreciation and the "Magpie Bridge Messenger", in which participants could express their feelings through traditional-style letters.

The event aims to make traditional culture more accessible while addressing the challenges young people face in expanding their social circles. Participants who successfully made a match were also offered free tickets to the historical dance drama The Song of Everlasting Sorrow.

"We put matchmaking in an authentic historical setting and use cultural activities instead of awkward small talk," said a local official, adding that the approach responds to young people's needs while making traditional culture more engaging.

The Tang-style wedding procession will be incorporated into Huaqing Palace's regular performance program from Aug 16 to Oct 7, while matchmaking activities for young people are expected to continue beyond the festival, extending the initiative from a seasonal celebration into a more regular cultural and social service.