A woman poses for a photo in front of Villa Anna in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by Zhou Wei/For China Daily]

With clear blue skies, green trees, a shimmering sea and sandy beaches, the coastal city of Qingdao in East China's Shandong province has romantic appeal. The city attracts tens of thousands of newlyweds who come to take wedding photos every year, and with new popular sites emerging, it has become the first choice for wedding photography in northern China.

The local government and companies in Qingdao's Shinan district are now looking to take advantage of the city's popularity with lovebirds. Natural attractions and relevant businesses are being integrated to build a "love-themed industry chain" covering dating and wedding services to drive the growth of the local economy in areas such as sightseeing tours, wedding ceremonies and photography.

The government has identified eight elements of the industry chain — food, accommodation, dating, shopping, themed gifts, cultural exhibitions, sightseeing tours and events.

The vision has a romantic name — Haishi Shanmeng, or A Solemn Pledge of Love — and to support it, the local government has proposed four key objectives: landmark visits, a sightseeing route, an integrated online platform and a festive event.

Villa Anna, a well-preserved Baroque-style compound built in 1901 by German businessman Robert Kappler and his son in honor of a family member, is a landmark in Shinan. Today, it is not only a complex containing a bookstore and German restaurant, but it also serves as a marriage registration office. Its picturesque setting, statues and vintage decor have made it a popular site for wedding photography and a wide range of ceremonies.

Yin Yanling was one of the brides who participated in a group wedding ceremony of eight couples recently at Villa Anna. "I was so glad to join the group wedding ceremony," she said. "It had a strong sense of ritual and was very moving."

Li Xiaojie, general manager of Villa Anna, said: "In the past, when people spoke of dating, many thought of something related to marriage only, but we want to break new ground by creating not only new connotations, but also new settings. We want to create a love-themed industry chain covering all ages that integrates elements of contemporary culture and tourism."

A 13.14-kilometer sightseeing route is planned linking nine scenic spots in the district, including parks, ancient towers and squares. The route has been carefully designed as the number "9", which gives the idea of something that is long-lasting in Chinese, and "1314"sounds similar to Chinese words meaning "throughout one's life" or "forever".

The government has joined hands with local companies to create China's first comprehensive digital platform for dating and marriage services and products. Its users include not only young lovers, but also seniors.

"As early as 2014, we started to realize that the business would be hardly sustainable if it only focused on wedding celebrations, so our industry association decided to integrate resources and open the door to all businesses in the industry chain," said Zhai Aijun, honorary president of the Qingdao wedding etiquette industry association.

With the current upgrading of the wedding industry, as well as the revitalization of cultural tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic, the "marriage plus cultural tourism "model will bring great benefits to the development of both the wedding and tourism industries in Shinan, Zhai said.

Association president Tang Wenjie said when young people from all over the country choose Qingdao as their wedding destination, they will also bring their families and friends, which will greatly boost the development of the wedding, tourism, accommodation, catering and other sectors in the district, as well as all of Qingdao.