2009 Australia Day - Cowherd and Weaver Girl

According to the Chinese Legend, there was once a sky river between the Earth and the Heaven. The crystal clear river had attracted many fairies to have a bath there. However, no one was able to see the heavenly place or dared to go near there because it was said that human beings would vanish forever in the Sky River.

The most powerful Goddess - the West Queen, was in charge of both the Earth and Heaven. She was often driven by a dragon carriage whilst supervising both worlds. West Queen had a very beautiful daughter named Weaver Girl who was not only clever but also excellent in weaving. Every night, the Weaver Girl enjoyed taking a bath in the Sky River along with the other fairies. On Earth, a very hardworking young name called Cowherd grew up as an orphan. His only possession was an old cow.

One evening, the gentle old cow brought Cowherd to the bank of the Sky River. The Weaver Girl and Cowherd immediately fell in love when they first met. A few days later, when the West Queen discovered their love affair, she became angry and commanded several warriors and generals from Heaven to guard the Weaver Girl.

Day after day, Cowherd and Weaver Girl could only see each other from the far end of the vast Sky River. Their true love had touched many, even the magpies. On the Seventh of July, magpies flew to the Sky River, and they formed a bridge so that the two young lovers could meet up. Eventually, West Queen was also moved and agreed that they could meet each other on the Seventh of July each year.

In 2009, Chinese New Year Day coincided with Australia Day on the 26th of January. To celebrate both the Year of the Cow and Australia Day, an all-day event was held at Federation Square in Melbourne, showcasing performances and dances from various ethnic backgrounds. The 'Cow' theme was incorporated into each performance. The Sabrina Dance Troupe took to the stage with the colourful "Cowherd and Weaver Girl" performance, demonstrating the art of Chinese dancing through story-telling.