Tuesday is Laba, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, and the smell of Laba porridge has again pervaded Chinese kitchens.

Restaurants and snack bars in Beijing started serving this seasonal dish last week, and expect a sales peak on Tuesday.

Citizens can also eat a bowl of Laba porridge for free in many Buddhist temples, since the tradition of celebrating Laba Festival originated in Buddhist culture.

In Guanghua Temple in central Beijing, more than 20 workers and volunteer citizens started cooking Laba porridge in twelve huge pots on Monday night, which they expect to hand out to several thousands of temple-goers on Tuesday.

Residents in a Hangzhou community cook and eat Laba porridge together. Laba Festival, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, falls on January 15 this year. (photo: zjol.com.cn)

Fang Hui Chun Tang, an old, well-reputed pharmacy in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, also has the tradition of serving free porridge on Laba. Nutritious Chinese herbs are mixed into their dish, and a xylitol-based recipe is prepared for people with diabetes. The pharmacy expects to receive some 12,000 visitors on the special day.

Neighborhoods in Chinese cities join up to cook and eat Laba porridge. Qi Guifeng, 75, is an organizer of one such public meal in Hangzhou. She called in several senior citizens in her community to buy the materials and serve the porridge in the community's public yard.

"We get together to do a good thing and have fun. We are glad our neighbors can have a bowl of hot porridge," Zhang Meiqin, one of Qi's neighbors, said.

(CRI January 15, 2008)