In China, May 20 and 21 are celebrated as "I Love You" days, owing to their homophonic resemblance to “I love you” in Chinese. This year, over 12,700 couples have registered for marriage across Shandong province, according to the provincial civil affairs department.

Cities in Shandong are transforming the act of getting a marriage certificate into a memorable romantic journey.

Qingdao is at the forefront. On May 20, the country's first beer-themed marriage registration point opened at the Golden Beach, a collaboration between the Qingdao West Coast New Area and Tsingtao Brewery. The city also launched Shandong's first lighthouse-themed registration point at the Olympic Sailing Center, offering couples scenic coastal views. Since marriage registration became available nationwide a year ago, Qingdao has managed 52,951 local marriages, up 28.5 percent year-on-year, and served 10,366 couples from other regions, a 43.5 percent increase year-on-year.

Shandong's first lighthouse-themed marriage registration point opens in Qingdao, offering couples romantic coastal memories. [Photo/Dazhong News]

Meanwhile, Yantai introduced a limited-edition set of 1,314 stamps ("1314" sounds similar to Chinese words meaning "throughout one's life" or "forever") featuring eight city landmarks, including Penglai Pavilion and the Oriental Aerospace Port, symbolizing "forever love". Zibo also offers couples the opportunity to register in traditional Chinese attire at Zhoucun Ancient Town, Shandong's first marriage registration office located in a 5A scenic area.

With beer, lighthouses, stamps, and ancient streets, Shandong is redefining the experience of saying "I do."

Yantai releases a limited-edition set of 1,314 stamps on May 20, featuring the city's eight landmarks. [Photo/Dazhong Daily]