Chinese legend,Yue Lao

the famous artist visiting Yuelao temple

Chinese matchmaker,Yue Lao

Yue Lao, also called Chinese matchmaker, who, much like the role of Cupid in the western culture, is the god who is in charge of marriages in Chinese legend.

Yue Lao is depicted as an old man with a long flowing beard. The matchmaker holds a book called “the book of fate” in his hand. It is said that marriages of all people in the world are recorded on this book. He always carries a big bag of red threads. According to the legend, he ties a man and a woman around their ankles with a red thread. They are destined to be soul mates and no matter how far apart the two may be, they will eventually meet and marry.

It is said that the matchmaker is busy matching up couples on the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day after the Chinese New Year. Therefore, in ancient times, it is a custom to visit the matchmaker’s temples and pray for a relationship or a happy marriage on that day.

Even today, believers who want to find true love and happy relationships will visit Yue Lao’s temples to pray for blessings.