A couple presents their "chocolate for lovers" specially made for the upcoming "Double Seven Festival" in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang province. The "Double Seven Festival", dubbed as Chinese Valentines Day will fall on Aug 11, 2005. Shops across China have prepared wide variety of commodities to cater for the need of lovers.

As the legend goes, in ancient China, Niulang, a poor young man, fell in love with the fairy Zhinu. Zhinu's mother, the Queen of Heaven, was angry with them both and drew a line between them to separate them.

The line became the Milky Way, or the Silver River as it is known in Chinese, and the couple became the two stars of Vega and Aquila on either side.

The Queen was finally moved by their true love and allowed them to meet each year on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month on a bridge across the starry river.

To celebrate the love story, Chinese people have a tradition of sitting outdoors to observe the two stars on that day.

Girls may prepare fruits, melons and incense as offerings to Zhinu, the weaving maiden, praying to acquire her high skills in needlecraft, as well as hoping to find satisfactory husbands.

A couple presents their "chocolate for lovers" specially made for the upcoming "Double Seven Festival" in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang province. The "Double Seven Festival", dubbed as Chinese Valentines Day will fall on Aug 11, 2005.

A girl displays a doll in a shop in Jinan, capital of Shandong province.

A banner promoting traditional Chinese dolls is hung in a shop in Yinchuan, capital city of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Flower merchants in the Wushan flower and bird market in Hangzhou put up promotion advertisement to attract customers.