BEJING / SHANGHAI / GUANGZHOU - Valentine's Day in this auspicious Year of the Dragon has couples across China stepping forward to give each other not only flowers and chocolates, but also the promise of lifelong love.

Civil affairs officials in Beijing estimate that 4,000 couples will marry on Valentine's Day, and their Shanghai counterparts are expecting 2,000.

According to marriage registration website of the Beijing municipal civil affairs bureau, about 1,400 prospective newlyweds have made appointments to register their marriage in the bureau offices of six urban districts in Beijing - almost twice the number of last year.

In Haidian district alone, more than 370 appointments were made for the day, compared with 26 on Feb 15, according to the Beijing municipal marriage and adoption registration services website.

In Shanghai, the civil affairs offices in Pudong, Putuo, Yangpu and other districts and counties were already fully booked as of the weekend.

"The booking surge on Valentine's Day is associated with this being the Year of the Dragon, which is preferred by newlyweds," said Zhou Jixiang, head of marriage registration department in Shanghai municipal civil affairs bureau.

Kang Zhiming and his girlfriend Meng Xue have fun with a giant toy bear at Oriental Plaza in Beijing's Wangfujing Street on Monday. Zou Hong / China Daily