A group of expats and overseas Chinese celebrate the traditional Laba Festival in Wencheng county, Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/people.com.cn]
A group of expats and overseas Chinese recently gathered in Wencheng county in Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, to celebrate the traditional Laba Festival, which falls on Jan 10 this year.
Participants made Laba rice porridge together, a must-eat dish during the festival that is mainly made from regular rice, sticky rice, sugar, red dates, lotus seeds, walnuts, chestnuts, almonds, longans, hazelnuts, raisins, red beans, peanuts, water caltrops, roseleaf, and other ingredients.
They also tried their hands at classic bean paintings using porridge ingredients, carefully molding them into a classic shape and then pasting them together on a bamboo tray.
"I used kidney beans and peanuts to make my painting, which I believe can help dispel evil and bring happiness to everyone in the new year," said Suiven Evert Limnyuy, a woman from South Africa.
Perversi Simone, an Italian who took part in the activity with his two daughters, was also excited to give it a try.
"I've celebrated many traditional Chinese festivals in Wencheng but this was my first time celebrating the Laba Festival here. It was great to learn about the stories and customs behind the festival," he said.
This was the first international cultural exchange activity held in Wencheng in 2022, and the county is planning to host many more in the future.
