The annual Qingdao Beer Festival concludes with nearly 4 million people from all over the world downing 1,100 tons of freshly brewed premium beer.

Ren Zhiqiang, one knee on the ground, is proposing to his girlfriend Xiao Hong. Only, instead of a ring, he is holding a mug of beer. Xiao, by now in tears, grabs the mug and downs its contents in one go, signaling her "yes" to the proposal. The couple then hug and kiss as hundreds of people gathered around them cheer lustily.

The setting of this romantic drama is the 21th Qingdao International Beer Festival, claimed to be the largest of its kind in Asia, which concluded on Sunday in the coastal city Qingdao, Shandong province. The city shot to international prominence for hosting the sailing competition of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The annual festival that begins on the second Saturday of August every year, kicked off on August 13 this year. It draws people from home and abroad who join not only to enjoy different kinds of authentic beer, but also for the variety of performances including opera, dance, magic and fashion shows.

By Sunday, the festival hosted nearly 4 million people from all over the world, who consumed up to 1,100 tons of beer in 200 varieties.

Among its star visitors were NBA player Horace Grant, Chinese actor Zhang Hanyu and champion gymnasts Li Ning and Li Xiaoshuang.

The festival was also turned into a battleground for the top beer brands from around the world.