'What global recession?' ask Hangzhou-bound romantics

Hangzhou's West Lake, the meeting place for many lovers in the myths and legends of ancient China.

Qixi - literally the "night of sevens" - is the nearest Chinese equivalent to the Western St Valentine's Day tradition. Unlike its overseas counterpart, the date of Qixi is governed by the lunar calendar and always falls on the seventh day of the seventh month of this traditional system. This year the festival takes place on August 26th and already bookings for romantic getaways are going off the scale.