On the early morning of January 6, 2019 (the first day of the twelfth month in the Chinese lunar calendar), the staff of Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou started to cook Laba congee (porridge with nuts and dried fruits), as they planned to distribute over 300,000 bowls of flavorful Laba congee to citizens of Hangzhou and surrounding cities.

Since 2008, Lingyin Temple has resumed the longtime tradition of giving out free Laba congee to the public and an increasing number of Laba congee each year has been distributed. As of 2019, Lingyin Temple has been adhering to the tradition for 11 years and the number of bowls of Laba congee has grown from 100,000 to over 300,000 this year.

The cleansing ceremony of Laba congee

The offering ceremony of Laba congee

Staff distributing Laba congee

Staff cooking Laba congee

Laba congee well packed and prepared for distribution