Wang Yuan and her boyfriend, Wang Wei, receive rose-scented oranges from the MC in Chongqing on Feb 14. Photos by Chen Chao / for China Daily

A Chongqing fruit company distributed 5,000 rose-scented oranges for free to couples for Valentine's Day.

"Flowers will wilt. Edible oranges are pragmatic gifts," said Wang Yuan, a 23-year-old teacher who received two free oranges with her boyfriend.

The oranges were wrapped like flowers in green gift paper. Couples who passed the store were eligible for the special gift at Guanyinqiao, a shopping center in downtown Chongqing.

The oranges, which have a distinctive dark-red pulp and rosy scent, have become popular gifts among lovers.

Originally from Italy, they have become a main industry in Chongqing's Wanzhou district in the Three Gorges area.

Wanzhou has set aside 10,000 hectares to grow the rose-scented citrus. The orange trees have an annual yield of 20,000 metric tons, according to Xiang Taihong, a Wanzhou agricultural officer.

Chen Guibing, an orange grove owner, said the rose-scented fruits are a big seller on Valentine's Day.

The price of the oranges went as high as 60 yuan ($10) per kilogram for last year's Valentine's Day, while regular oranges got only 6 yuan per kilogram.