Love in full bloom

Ayra Wang

At least 220 couples said "I do" on the auspicious Chinese Valentine's Day yesterday, with 127 tying the knot at marriage registries - a five-year high - according to the Immigration Department.

The day marked Lantern Festival - considered a time to celebrate romantic love - and came two days ahead of the Western Valentine's Day.

The department said 223 couples registered for to be wed during Lantern Festival.

A total of 127 registered for marriage at registries across the city - compared to the 53 at last year's Lantern Festival.

At the Tseung Kwan O marriage registry, all 23 quotas were fully booked. Couples were seen taking photos at its heart-shaped garden despite the rain.

A couple who had been dating for seven years seized the opportunity last November when the registry office opened reservations for yesterday's date.

"I think it is a double joy to get married during Lantern Festival and I hope we can support each other through thick and thin," said blushing bride Chan.

Another couple said they met while filming a documentary and have been dating for nearly five years. They said the registration procedure was smooth and they even welcomed the wet weather.

"It's good to rain as rain moistens the earth and represents a good meaning," the groom, Ngai, said. "We hope we can love each other forever."

Bride Ip said she felt nervous the night before. "But it's all good now and I wish our relationship lasts forever," she said.

A band from the department played Chinese love songs in the morning at Tseung Kwan O, where a roving exhibition on local marriage culture is on display until March 7.

Meanwhile, over 30 percent of Hongkongers have yet to plan for Valentine's Day tomorrow, matchmaking agency HK Romance Dating has found.

The agency surveyed 461 males and females in a relationship on their gift preferences and plans for the day from January 13 to February 4.

It found that 38 percent of males and 31 percent of females said they had no plans to celebrate Valentine's.

For those who said they would go on vacation, around one-fifth of men preferred traveling to the mainland, and 16 percent opted to travel abroad. For women, about one-fifth said they would travel to the mainland or overseas, the survey revealed.

Additionally, nearly half of the men planned to celebrate at home while over half of the women preferred to go to the cinema.

Some 41 percent of men and 38 percent of women said they would spend the day shopping. Around one-fifth of men expected gifts from their partners costing below HK$500, while 35 percent of women expected gifts costing between HK$1,001 and HK$5,000.

The agency said 38 percent of men wished to receive digital electronic products while over half of the women preferred watches or jewelry.

Among the least desirable gifts for men were amusement park tickets and flowers, while for women they were stationery and toys.

"We suggested couples try new experiences like do-it-yourself workshops or board games to increase interaction and freshness," said Yubi Wong Ka-yu, cofounder of the matchmaking agency.

Separately, the mainland's civil affairs ministry reported the lowest rate of marriages last year since record keeping began in 1986. Some 6.1 million marriages were recorded last year - a decline of 20.5 percent yearly and half that of its peak in 2013.

Analyses suggested the decline is related to the gradual decrease in the number of people of marriageable ages in recent years, overtime work culture, difficulties in purchasing homes, as well as high child care costs.

ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com