EVEN with plenty of Valentine’s deals and celebrations at home, a romantic trip outside the city might be a great gift for a loved one this year. Here are some Chinese places related to love and traditional culture.

    Runan, Henan Province

    Runan is a famous small county and home of the well-known “Butterfly Lovers.”

    The romantic and tragic love story — often viewed as the Chinese equivalent of “Romeo and Juliet” — occurred in Liangzhu Township, about 30 kilometers from downtown Runan. Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai meet as students but at first are only very close friends, because Zhu has disguised herself as a man so she could attend classes in an era when women were discouraged from study. After many travails, Zhu reveals her true identity to Liang and they fall passionately in love — but Zhu’s parents have already arranged her marriage to a different man from a wealthy family. Liang is so heartbroken he eventually dies, unable to bear separation from Zhu. But on Zhu’s wedding day, she leaves the procession to visit Liang’s grave, where she weeps in despair. The grave suddenly opens and Zhu throws herself in to be with Liang. Their spirits then take the shape of butterflies that emerge from the grave and fly away together.

    Many places in Runan are related to Zhu and Liang’s story, including the villages where they were born, the school where they met, the village where Zhu was forced to get married and their tombs.

    Transport: Fly to Zhengzhou from Shenzhen Airport and take a coach to Runan.

    Yongji, Shanxi Province

    Yongji is famous in China because of the well-known historical play, “The Romance of the Western Chamber.” The play is set in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and tells the story of a young scholar, Zhang Sheng, who falls in love with beautiful Cui Yingying, the daughter of the prime minister. Although Zhang helps save Yingying from bandits, her mother refuses to let them marry, because Zhang is poor. He proves a brilliant scholar and is appointed to high office, though, eventually allowing the two to marry despite the lack of parental approval.

    The Pujiu Temple, where the lovers meet, is in the city and called by locals “the Holy Land of Love.”

    A large matchmaking activity is held in the Yongji temple every year. Thousands of people living in neighboring areas rush to the temple to wish for a meeting and romance with their ideal life partner.

    There are also many ancient sites, including temples, towers and pavilions, that are closely related to Yingying.

    Transport: Fly to Taiyuan from Shenzhen Airport and take a train to Yongji.

    Huangshan, Anhui Province

    In addition to the beautiful scenery and attractions of Huangshan Mountain, the Lover’s Valley is another must-go place for lovers to experience a uniquely romantic setting.

    In 1986, 36 young people from Shanghai went to Huangshan Mountain. As the mountain was not yet well-developed, they were trapped in the Jade Valley for three days. Over that time, they encouraged and helped each other and finally found their way out. After they returned to Shanghai, 20 of them married someone else from the group, creating 10 couples from the 36 individuals. When they later returned to Huangshan Mountain, they were so moved by their dangerous but romantic stories they asked the city’s government to rename the place the “Lover’s Valley.”

    Transport: Take a train from Shenzhen Railway Station to Huangshan City and take a bus to Huangshan Mountain. (Wang Yuanyuan)