The Jiaozanshi village of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, celebrated the traditional Laba Festival on Monday in a unique way. In addition to enjoying Laba porridge, villagers organized tofu banquets and staged a spectacular dragon dance. #HeritageandInheritors | CCTV

Today marks the Chinese Laba Festival. Many gathered at the Lama Temple (雍和宫) in Beijing to enjoy free Laba porridge. Made from rice, beans, nuts and dried fruits, it represents prayers for good harvests, happiness and peace. The Laba Festival is held on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, and is a prelude to Spring Festival celebrations. | XuQinduo

Zambia’s Shaolin Temple distributed 300 bowls of free Laba congee for the Laba Festival, combining African rice with an ancient Shaolin formula to cook a China-Africa "Congee of Harmonious Coexistence". | Beautiful places in China

As an old saying goes, "After Laba, it's the Chinese New Year!" Falling on the 8th day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar, the Laba Festival is regarded as a warm-up celebration for the subsequent Spring Festival. Laba congee is a traditional element of the festival that originates in Buddhism, and the custom of eating it dates back more than 1,000 years. The earliest form of this dish was cooked with red beans and has since developed into many different varieties. It serves as a symbol of