Various community-driven activities were held across China to celebrate the Laba Festival, which fell on January 26 this year, highlighting the festival’s enduring cultural significance and spirit of social warmth.
Across cities and towns, volunteers, community organisations, and local authorities distributed Laba porridge, a traditional dish symbolising blessings, harvest, and good fortune. In Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, elderly residents gathered at a community-based activity centre to share Laba porridge, fostering companionship and festive cheer.
In Hebei Province, volunteers served Laba porridge to food delivery couriers in Qinhuangdao’s Haigang District and sanitation workers in Tangshan’s Fengrun District, recognising frontline workers and spreading festival goodwill. Similar scenes were witnessed in Jiangsu’s Taixing City, where residents received porridge through organised volunteer initiatives.
Family-oriented celebrations were also prominent. In Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, children and parents participated in interactive events themed around the Laba Festival, blending traditional customs with modern community engagement. Volunteers in Zhoushan’s Dinghai District, also in Zhejiang, served porridge to elderly residents, reinforcing the festival’s emphasis on care for seniors.
In Tianjin, the festival coincided with the opening of the Lutai Market, adding a vibrant commercial and cultural dimension to the celebrations. The market hosted free distribution of Laba porridge, calligraphy sessions featuring the character “Fu” symbolising blessings, and a village chef competition, attracting large crowds from surrounding areas.
