Villagers of Shuiquan in the countryside of Beijing celebrated a special bird festival on Feb. 12, the 16th day of the Chinese New Year. According to legend, there were once no grain seeds in ancient times. Therefore, the goddess Queen Mother of the West secretly sent seeds to the mortal world, even though her actions violated the laws of the gods in heaven. She was later turned into a bird as a form of punishment, and always chirped at the arrival of spring to remind people of the sowing season. In modern times, villagers dine together on the 16th day of the Lunar New Year in order to give thanks for the bringing of seeds to the earthly world.

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