The sign which hangs outside this restaurant in Sichuan says: "The boss has divorced today! He's in a good mood! Beer is free, drink up!"

There is also a divorce certificate printed on the bright red banner.

A photo of this bizarre promotion at an eatery at Nanchong city in Sichuan went viral in China in early December.

Some wondered if this was a hoax, but one of the restaurant owners did recently get a divorce, Nanchong Evening News reported.

The co-owner of the restaurant, surnamed Cao, told the local newspaper: "I did get divorced recently, it was a long-drawn out process. Just completed the proceedings, and I feel relieved, so I thought of celebrating it with this promotion."

Some customers said they dropped in because they wanted to see if it was true, or just a publicity stunt.

"It's the first time I've seen such an outrageous marketing tactic," said a customer, surnamed Chen.

Curious, he and his friends dropped in for a meal.

"I made sure to check with the boss. He really did go through a divorce," he added.

The local commerce bureau said that the advertisement did not infringe any regulations, but it did not encourage other establishments to have similar promotions, Nanchong Evening News reported.