Chengdu Wenshu Monastery gives out free Laba porridge

CHENGDU, China, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Wenshu Monastery in Chengdu, Sichuan province gave out 100,000 cups of freshly cooked Laba porridge to visitors from Jan 5 to 7 to celebrate the Laba Festival.

Laba Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the eighth day of the 12th month of the Chinese calendar, falls on Jan 7 this year. 

Serving free Laba porridge has been a tradition at the Wenshu Monastery for over 300 years. The monastery’s Laba porridge is made from 14 ingredients, including dried tangerine peel, red dates, coix seed, goji berries, and black rice.

Wang Chuanxi, a volunteer at the Wenshu Monastery, said the monastery also set up 324 porridge distribution points across Chengdu, distributing a total of 250,000 cups of pre-made Laba porridge in three days.

In addition, the monastery sent 100,000 free Laba porridge ingredient packs through online platform to people around the country, and provided large Laba porridge packs that are enough to feed a total of 20,000 people to nursing homes, designated schools, and communities.

The monastery said Laba was originally a day to express gratitude for a good harvest and to make sacrifices to ancestors. With the introduction of Buddhism from India to China, the Laba Festival has also taken on the profound significance of commemorating the enlightenment of Sakyamuni, the spiritual leader of Buddhism.

The Laba Festival is a true reflection of the inclusive and diverse nature of Chinese culture, the monastery said. By holding the event, it hopes to integrate the traditional festival into people’s daily lives, bringing warmth and blessings amid daily hustle.

Tan Jihe, a distinguished researcher at the Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, said the Bashu region (today’s Sichuan and Chongqing) has made pioneering contributions to the Laba Festival and Laba porridge. As early as in the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC-220 AD), it was customary for families in this region to eat porridge on Laba.

He highlighted the Wenshu Monastery’s efforts in carrying on the Laba tradition in an innovative way and incorporating Zen Buddhism’s blessing and wisdom culture into modern people’s pursuit of a happy and fulfilling life.

Jia Libin, director of Chengdu’s intangible cultural heritage protection center, said the sweet flavor of Laba porridge and the festival celebrations have fostered gratitude, benevolence and family harmony and formed a collective memory and cultural identity for the people of Chengdu.