People across China marked the Laba Festival on 26 January, a traditional occasion observed on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month and best known for sharing Laba porridge, or “eight-treasure congee”, symbolising good fortune and abundance.

In Jiaozanshi Village of Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province, the festival unfolded as a rich cultural celebration that went well beyond food. Alongside cooking and offering Laba porridge to visitors, villagers prepared festive tofu banquets and staged lively folk performances. Making tofu remains central to local tradition, reflecting the belief that “to grind tofu on Laba” brings “smooth sailing in the coming year”.

Artisans showcased time-honoured crafts such as lantern-making, paper-cutting and knot-tying, while visitors joined hands-on activities and collected lucky calligraphy and Spring Festival couplets.

As night fell, drumbeats announced the highlight of the day: the Dongquan Horse Lantern and the 500-year-old Zhang Family Dragon Lantern parades. With nearly 100 performers, including many young participants, the dragon dance embodied the village’s commitment to passing cultural heritage from one generation to the next.

Source: China Central Television