Yue Lao (Old Man Under the Moon)

The classic Yue Lao story dates to the Tang Dynasty.

A young man named Wei Gu was traveling when he spotted an old man reading a massive book by moonlight outside an inn. Curious, he asked what the book was about. "This is the book of every marriage destined to happen in the world," the old man replied.

Wei Gu eagerly asked: "Who's my match?"

The old man pointed across the street to an elderly woman holding a baby girl. "That infant. She'll be your wife."

Wei Gu was horrified. The baby was dirty and plain — nothing like his imagined bride. In a terrible decision, he sent someone to kill the girl. The assassin only managed to slash a cut across her forehead before fleeing.

Fourteen years later, Wei Gu married a beautiful young woman. On their wedding night, he noticed a scar between her eyebrows. When he asked about it, the truth emerged: she was that baby girl.

The moral: once Yue Lao ties the thread, there's no cutting it.

**What to pray for:** Finding a partner, improving your relationship, romantic luck. But note — Yue Lao only deals in "righteous" matches. If you're trying to steal someone else's partner or break up a couple, he won't help.

**Three simple steps:**

1. Bring offerings and introduce yourself fully: name, birthday, address, current relationship status

2. Tell Yue Lao what kind of partner you're looking for (be specific but reasonable)

3. Ask for a red thread to take home — keep it in your wallet or under your pillow

**Offerings:** Red dates, dried longan, peanuts, and lotus seeds — together they form a pun meaning "have children soon." Add candy and chocolate to sweeten the deal.

**One key taboo:** Never bring an umbrella when visiting Yue Lao. In Mandarin, "umbrella" (傘, sǎn) sounds like "separate" (散, sàn). Bringing one is basically telling the love god you want to break up. Many people don't know this — and wonder why they keep striking out.

While there's no specific birthday festival, visitor numbers surge around Chinese Valentine's Day (7th of 7th lunar month) and February 14th. Xiahai Temple holds special matchmaking events during the Qixi Festival.