On June 6 of the lunar calendar, people worship Nuwa, mainly honored as Goddess Nuwa, the mother goddess of Chinese mythology, in memory of her repairing the Pillar of Heaven. On this day, people living in Beijing and the surrounding countryside dry their clothes outside and scrub their livestock clean. This way, the clothes are protected from moths and the livestock safe from lice. Thus the tradition has been passed down from generation to generation. And on this day, people living along the Yongding River rush their cats and dogs to the river to bathe, in order to cool down and clean their fur. It's said that cats, dogs, and livestock were created by Goddess Nuwa on June 6 of the lunar calendar, so people there call this day the birthday of these animals.
On this day, people there also get up early. After breakfast, they separate the covers of duvets, cotton-padded trousers and jackets, etc., and take them as well as wooden buckets, wooden basins, and washing paddles to the river for washing with their children. To worship Goddess Nuwa, before doing the laundry, people need to burn three incense sticks and insert them into a bump on the beach, facing the river.
Besides doing the laundry, people also lead large livestock such as horses, cows, donkeys, mules, and camels into the river and bathe them on their birthday. The bath aims to brush away the soil on their bodies. It's believed that livestock can stay away from disasters and diseases for a year this way. In addition, there are also many taboos on this day. For example, it is taboo for women to visit their parents. And if it's raining on this day, it indicates that there may be a flood in autumn, which may do harm to livestock, fruits, and vegetables. In Beijing, it is also the custom to give elephants and horses a bath on this day.
The three activities on June 6 of the lunar calendar, including family worship, doing the laundry, and bathing livestock, are closely related to the worship of Goddess Nuwa.
(Source: Shijingshan District People's Government of Beijing Municipality)