I'll pay you to be my valentine

Wondering what lonely hearts can do on a day of high romance such as Valentine's Day?

Chen Wei, a salesman in an American company in Beijing, seems to have found the answer. He is planning to "rent" a girlfriend for the day for 400 yuan ($58.5) and the offer of a free meal at the Pink Loft in Sanlitun.

"You should be considerate, lovely and smart, no more than 25 years old. It is best that you work in the fashion industry, public relations or advertising so that we can have an interesting conversation. I will treat you to a free meal in Pink Loft, and pay you 400 yuan if you can share with me more than five hours after work on Valentine's Day," reads Chen's note in the BBS on www.douban.com.

The 26-year-old says he broke up with his girlfriend two years ago, and since then has been too busy to make the time for dating. This, he adds, has not been a problem except for those special occasions such as the Spring Festival - and now, Valentine's Day.

"It would feel so bad to spend the day alone, especially when all my friends are out with their dates.

"I saw in an online discussion that some people had successfully 'rented' a girlfriend before going home to meet their parents during the Spring Festival. That's what gave me the idea of renting a girlfriend for Valentine's Day," Chen says.

He posted his requirements on Monday and by Wednesday evening, had received more than 20 responses and eight e-mails with photographs. He plans to meet as many as possible in person to decide who is the lucky one to get the money and the meal.

Romance - and recession - in the air

After agonizing for weeks over what to give his girlfriend this Valentine's Day, Beijinger Li Mingyu, 27, decided on the "perfect present for the season" - a personalized notebook carrying all 99 cell phone text messages he exchanged with his 26-year-old partner Wang Min over the last year, topped with a nice meal at home to share their "sweet memories".

"I am sure this is going to be a different, less costly present for Wang, compared with the pricey flowers I spent 800 yuan ($117) on last year," the consultant at a Beijing-based management consultancy company told China Daily on Friday.

Wu Li (left) and Dong Hao tie the know on the eve of Valentine's Day in Chengdu, Sichuan province. [Asianewsphoto]

From home-cooked meals to rock-bottom bouquet deals, many young Chinese like Li and retailers in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are celebrating this year's Valentine's Day with tightened belts and purse strings amid the global financial crisis.