Be my Valentine

Living in China provides an added bonus for romantically-inclined expats - an extra Valentine's Day. The Western celebration for lovers takes place on February 14, while the Chinese version occurs on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month which this year falls on Thursday.

In China the festival is known as qixi or "Double Seventh Festival."

The Global Times has found a number of nightlife activities - for both couples and singles - which should help the evening go with a bang.

Sweet melodies

If you want to celebrate Valentine's Day in the most traditional of Chinese ways, then two concerts taking place in two of the city's biggest venues - the Shanghai Concert Hall and the Shanghai Oriental Art Center - offer a perfect option.

The Shanghai Oriental Art Center will welcome artists from the Elegant Chinese Music of Shanghai on Saturday. The founder, Wang Long, an established guqin (Chinese zither) and dulcimer (a fretted plucked instrument) player in China, will lead her ensemble in presenting both an auditory and visual feast, which will include spectacular costumes and decorations.

Date: August 25, 7:45 pm

Venue: Shanghai Oriental Art Center

上海东方艺术中心

Address: 425 Dingxiang Road 丁香路425号

Tickets: 80 to 300 yuan

Call 6854-1234 for details

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra will bring its audience a musical feast for qixi. The program will integrates classic Chinese instrumentals such as "Kangding Love Song," "Beautiful Night" and "Magpie Bridge Meeting," with pop music from popular movies and Television series such as "Sliver Paradise," "Phoenix on the Wing," "Chrysanthemum Terrace" and "Legend."

Date: August 23, 7:30 pm

Venue: Shanghai Concert Hall 上海音乐厅

Address: 523 Yan'an Road East

延安东路523号

Tickets: 50 to 380 yuan

Call 6386-2836 for details

Beach carnival

The Sunny Beach at the Cool Docks is Shanghai's largest artificial beach in the downtown area, and will see a carnival laid on for couples on the night of qixi.

To gain entry you will have to be one of the lucky winners of a competition set up by the organizer and sponsor soft drink brand 7-Up.

They have set up a website (7up.ddmap.com), in which couples can post their photos and invite their friends to vote for them. The 77 most popular couples will be selected to join the party. All of the couples' expenses at the party will be covered by the organizer, including a buffet and drinks. Entry to the online competition ends at midday on Wednesday.

The 3-hour event is divided into four parts, among which is a games competition, in which prizes including two New iPads and a 4,999 yuan ($786) holiday voucher will be available to the winners. Popular local DJs including Zhang Sa will be spinning the tunes, while a number of bands will give live performances.

Date: August 23, 8 pm

Venue: The Sunny Beach at the Cool Docks 老码头阳光沙滩

Address: 421 Waima Road 外马路421号Admission: Free, but exclusive to the online competition winners

Call 6049-8030 for details

Nice to meet you

Targeted at the city's singles, OK, Deal! Club, an expat-oriented activities group, will hold its own qixi special event on Thursday.

Participants will be invited to play a game called Lock & Key, in which every woman is given a padlock and every man gets a key, the goal being to match the right key with the right padlock. And each time participants successfully unlock a padlock, they will be given another lock or key in order to meet more people.

The atmosphere will also be enlivened by the inclusion of some Chinese-themed activities carried out by professionals, such as the making of Chinese knots. In traditional Chinese culture these red handicrafts are said to augur good fortune and to guarantee long and happy relationships.

There will also be a local feng shui master on hand who will tell the fortune of guests and offer advice and predictions about their future love lives.

Participants will be recommended to wear a qipao (women) or a Tang suit (men) for the event.

The host of the activity, Lost Heaven on the Bund, which is famous for its mellow martinis, will also offer delicious snacks during the event, such as Yunnan vegetable spring rolls and Burmese lamb samosas.

Date: August 23, 7:30 pm

Venue: 3/F, Lost Heaven, the Bund

花马天堂外滩店三楼酒吧

Address: 17 Yan'an Road East

延安东路17号

Admission: 120 yuan per person with RSVP, 150 yuan per person at the door

Register for the event by e-mailing your personal information (name, gender, age, nationality, mobile number and e-mail) to events@okdealclub.com

Call 150-0179-1355 for details