A happy couple proudly hold their marriage certificate at Xiangshan district’s marriage registration office in Huaibei, Anhui province, on Monday.

China's young lovers rushed to tie the knot on Monday on the auspicious date of Valentine's Day.

Long queues of couples formed at marriage registration offices in Chinese cities, waiting to get their marriage certificates.

"Today is special. We chose Valentine's Day to get married because we believe it will bring us good luck and a happy life," said bride Li Min at a registry in Lanzhou, capital of Northwest China's Gansu province.

Office staff issued marriage certificates to 150 couples in just three hours in the morning, seven or eight times the usual number, said Gao Yi, director of the marriage registration office.

There were similar scenes in other cities, such as Guangzhou and Shanghai.

A total of 1,820 couples had registered for marriage in Guangzhou by 4:30 pm on Monday, the highest number in a single day so far this year, according to the city's civil affairs bureau.