A couple from China, who have been married for five years, recently discovered that they had crossed paths as teenagers nearly two decades ago - and it was an old photograph that revealed this part of their love story.

The couple from Chengdu were left speechless, when they found out that they had both visited the May Fourth Square in the seaside city of Qingdao at the exact same moment in July 2000.

They were strangers at the time, and Mr Ye was on holiday and visiting the landmark with a tour group, reported local media.

His future wife, surnamed Xue, was there with her mother.

Ms Xue, clad in a white dress, had taken a photograph in front of a large sculpture in the public square.

As fate would have it, Mr Ye could be seen in the background of the photo, striking a pose for his own snapshot.

About 11 years after the photos were taken, the couple reportedly met in Chengdu, where they fell in love, got married and started a family.

Mr Ye said that he was looking through his wife's childhood photographs at his mother-in-law's home, as he was curious to know whom his twin daughters resembled.

"As I was going through the photos, I saw a man standing in the corner of one photo and said: 'That's me'" he said in an interview.

Back home, he managed to find a matching photo from his own trip, which showed him posing in front of the same landmark.

Earlier this month, Mr Ye shared about the coincidence on social media, and it soon went viral.

Many of his friends commented that the pair were destined for each other.

When their children are older, Mr Ye said he plans to take the family back to the same spot in Qingdao as it holds a special meaning for him and his wife.