A woman receives free Laba porridge in Hangzhou, capital of East China’s Zhejiang Province, yesterday, the Laba Festival. The Laba porridge is made from a dozen varieties of grains including glutinous rice, red beans, millet, Chinese sorghum, peas, dried lotus seeds and red beans. Chinese people believe the festival meal of Laba congee bears the auspicious meaning of a shared wish for harvest and abundance. “Laba” falls on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month. The Laba Festival is considered a prelude to the Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. The Laba Festival is also an important holiday in Buddhism. Temples across China offer porridge to the public to commemorate the Buddha and deliver his blessings.China News Service