Having a love letter you have written yourself inscribed on a bamboo scroll - used to display calligraphy in ancient China, before paper was invented - satisfies some young people's craving for personalized gifts with traditional feel.

One anonymous recipient of a bamboo billet doux commented on taobao.com, "I like it very much. A fitting gift for Qixi, memorable and easy to preserve. Much better than floral bouquet."

Events held all over China on Tuesday will explore the unique Chinese characteristics of the

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Qixi Festival activity held at Longmen Grottoes in China's Luoyang

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holiday.

A bar in Huizhou, southern Guangdong Province, posted on the twitter-like microblog, weibo.com, advertising a "romantic party on Chinese Valentine's Day".

Apart from entertainment, the party includes a needle threading competition, with a prize for most nimble fingers.

Qixi festival was traditionally a tribute to Zhinu, goddess of weaving, and for young girls to request the blessing of dexterity. The threading competition brings Qixi celebrations closer to its true meaning. Enditem (Interns Luo Wenyi, Tao Yiping contributed to the story.)

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