Be my valentine

It's a day of reckoning, so make sure you have the right stage for your heartfelt declarations of love, Lindsay Andrews reports.

Time, place and circumstance, as every well-known love story shows, are the three essentials when it comes to winning hearts and favors. While they are often incongruous when presented for dramatic effect on page or screen, when it comes to scripting the happenstance of a real-world romantic encounter so that it ends with at least the possibility of a happy ending, it may be wise to err on the side of caution. So go with the already tested and proven.

Especially on February 14, Valentine's Day, when expectations and anticipation tend toward an established mise en scène featuring cards, candles, chocolates and roses, preferably in the kind of setting that suggests you have placed high value on the occasion.

And if you set the scene right, then all you have to worry about is delivering your own part of the dialogue with suitable panache. Stage it wrong, however, and the scene can be all too easily be ruined, with the payoff being a lasting goodbye rather than a heart that is smitten. That is not a scene you want to keep replaying in your head when there is little likelihood of a second take.

While such a scene may seem to be suitable only for the first act, that is certainly not the case. Even if it comes after all the setbacks and reversals of the second act, these key romantic moments still need the right setting to convey the emotional message as intended.

When it comes to affairs of the heart, Feb 14 is not a date to be treated lightly. So to help ensure you convey the necessary passion in your play, we're rolling the credits on some of the leading names in high-end hospitality which are offering a variety of wonders to make your valentine feel special.

Whether you are in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chengdu or Guangzhou, there are fabulous ways to roll out the red carpet for the one who stars or who you hope will star in your romantic movie, whether its "aphrodisiacal" dining deals or amorous accommodation packages, or simply heart-melting chocolates, cocktails and flowers, there is sure to be something that will say "I love you".

Contact the writer at lindsayandrews@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 02/11/2017 page10)