Chinese Laba Festival

China Laba Festival, celebrated on the eighth day of the last lunar month, usually falls in mid-January. The majority Han Chinese have long followed the tradition of eating Laba rice porridge / congee on the Laba Festival.

China has many traditional festivals, which is an important part of Chinese culture.

Though most Chinese treat Laba Festival as a reminder of the approaching Chinese New Year, very few aware of its Buddhist origin. Han Buddhism was well accepted in the areas inhabited Han Chinese, who believed that Sakyamuni, the first Buddha and founder of the religion, attained enlightenment on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month. Laba festival was originally used to celebrate the day when Sakyamuni experienced his first revelation after six years of practicing asceticism, surviving on one meal of rice congee every day.

Laba Rice Porridge was prepared on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in courts, officials’ mansions, temples and common people’s homes, since it was first introduced to China in the Song Dynasty about 900 years ago. This custom became more prevalent in the Qing Dynasty. On this day, the emperor, empress and princes in the royal court would bestow Laba Rice Porridge to ministers and attendants. Also, they would give out rice, fruits and other materials to monks in temples. Meanwhile, every common family would cook Laba Rice Porridge and offer sacrifice to their ancestors.

Where to eat Laba rice porridge in Beijing? Yonghegong Lama Temple is very crowded on Laba Festival. Sutras were chanted and rice porridge with beans, nuts and dried fruit was prepared for the Buddha, believers and the public. Though, the tradition of eating laba porridge was based in religion, with time the food itself became a popular winter dish especially in cold northern China. So if you are taking a Beijing Tour right on Laba Festival, don’t forget to have a bowl of Laba rice porridge.