LIMA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Every year on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, the Love Park in Peru's capital city is overrun by enamored couples seeking an ideal place to celebrate their romance.
Situated on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean with birds flying overhead, the small park offering a stunning view of the bay of Lima is dedicated to love and lovers.
Its perimeter walls are covered by colorful mosaics, and in the center of the park stands a 10-meter statue by renowned sculptor Victor Delfin, called The Kiss, showing two lovers united in an intimate kiss. Around the sculpture people cuddle on wooden benches or stroll through the park's narrow trails.
Lines inscribed at the foot of the statue from poems by such distinguished writers as Spain's Rafael Alberti, Nicaragua's Ernesto Cardenal and Peru's Cesar Vallejo pay tribute to love and the sea.
"This park is a lovely expression of what love is," Abelardo Ibarra, who came to mark the day with his girlfriend, told Xinhua.
"Love makes us do things that sometimes we don't understand... and love can lead us to accomplish many things," said Graciela Castro, a tourist from the eastern Colombian city of Villavicencio, adding that she has fallen in love with Lima and the warmth of its people.
Carmen Melendez, who moved to Canada with her family for work reasons 20 years ago, is back in Lima. She said what she loved most about the park was its ocean backdrop and its emphasis on love, which was very important for the family.
