One sunny clear-sky day in Dalian, my boyfriend R begged me to visit Dalian’s highest point – a sightseeing tower accessed via Labour Park and a cable car ride to the top of the hill – to enjoy the clear 360 city views. Despite my exhaustion from packing and the slightly-too-hot-for-an-Englishwoman heat, it was probably our last chance that summer, as we were preparing for a move to southern China.

The cable car was great. When me and R had been dating in the UK, we had talked about riding the London Eye together, but on our one trip to London we were too pushed for time. Squishing into the cable car together and riding above the trees was certainly romantic and had a similar feel to the London Eye. At the top of the hill, we made our way to the sightseeing tour and took the lift to the top. The views were pretty good, you couldn’t hope for better weather, and we spent a few yuan using the binocular machines to see some of Dalian’s key squares.

A little later we went down one floor to the tower’s coffee shop and in true movie style, R got down on one knee, presented me with a ring belonging to his mum and asked me to marry him. He later told me that he’d even emailed my dad for his approval. His respect for our customs was just another reason to add to the many reasons why I said yes. It was wonderful.