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Having a romantic dinner date is always a popular way to celebrate Qixi Festival, the Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day, which fell on Tuesday this year.

Chinese tech and retail giant Meituan reported on Monday that restaurant bookings on the platform for this year's Qixi Festival were up 185 percent compared with the number in 2022.

Many restaurants listed on Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, a Chinese dining ranking analogous to the Michelin Guide, were booked up half a month before the festival, Meituan said.

Driven by the huge demand, hoteliers launched diverse dining packages and held festive celebrations to attract couples.

Grand Millennium Beijing, located in the city's central business district, was a popular choice for those wanting to savor the charm and vitality of the metropolis on this special occasion.

The hotel served up a five-course festive dinner at its restaurant, The Corner Bistro, which included Parma ham salad, lobster bisque, and grilled Australian rib eye. Desserts such as mille-feuille, French opera cake, and chocolate mousse offered a delightful and indulgent end to the meal.

For couples with a preference for Chinese cuisine, the hotel's Yaochi Chinese restaurant crafted a special Qixi menu featuring authentic Cantonese dishes such as braised beef ribs with black pepper sauce, fried prawns with truffle and double boiled abalone soup with bamboo fungus.

CHAO Living Room, a restaurant affiliated with CHAO hotel in Beijing's Sanlitun area, attracted throngs of couples on Tuesday night with its delectable meals and romantic ambience created by its elegant interior decor and soft lighting. Select ingredients for the six-course festive dinner included foie gras, rib eye, Australian sirloin steaks and Mediterranean red shrimps. Meanwhile, the hotel's Club Bar staged a live jazz performance, allowing guests to enjoy a romance-filled evening of fine food, drinks and music with their heart's desire.

In Shanghai, Shangri-La Qiantan offered a variety of ways to celebrate the festival including a themed buffet supper in its QT Kitchen, the "Qixi happy hour for romance" in the GardenLab bar and a discounted massage package.

In addition, guests were offered a mini festive cake baked by the pastry team as sweetness is to the essence of the festival, according to the hotel.

Bulgari Hotel Shanghai launched a special room package for the festival, which included a one-night stay in a spacious room or suite with breakfast for two, two Bulgari handcrafted chocolates, exquisite pastry created by a Michelin-starred chef, one bottle of Champagne, a Bulgari silk scarf and perfume.

Couples to its Western restaurant Il Ristorante — Niko Romito were treated to exquisite dishes such as blue lobster salad, handmade cold tagliolini, and black cod with almond sauce and Oscietra caviar.

The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong offered a five-course set dinner in its Flair Rooftop Restaurant and Bar where guests could admire the glittering skyline.

All-day dining destination NINE in W Xiamen Hotel, Fujian province, fused local flavors into international cuisines and served up a festive menu featuring 21-day-aged tomahawk steaks accompanied by shacha sauce. The condiment made from oil, garlic, shallots, chilies and seafood is widely used in the traditional dishes of Fujian and Guangdong provinces.