Many Chinese writers have described the scene where family members get together to make and eat Laba congee on the Laba Festival in their literary works.  

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After the arrival of the Laba Festival, people cast their minds to the coming Spring Festival. Festive season flavors spread through the whole country. Many famous Chinese writers have fondly described their experiences eating sweet Laba porridge on the twelfth lunar month in their literary works. Reading their articles can provide a direct view of how Laba Porridge plays a key role in the attitudes of Chinese people toward this festive period.

 

Shen Congwen: Childhood
Shen is one of the greatest modern Chinese writers in the 20th century and is known for combining a vernacular style with classical Chinese writing techniques. The culture in his hometown—Fenghuang in Hunan Province—plays a significant role in his writing. In the novel Laba Porridge, he describes a scene in which a boy called Baer, living in a warren, looks at his mother making Laba porridge on the Laba Festival. In contrast to the whole family’s impoverished living, a naive boy whose heart is filled with happiness and anticipation shines vividly between the lines. Children’s love for festival food and simple happiness leave a deep impression on readers.

 

Bingxin: Motherhood
Bingxin or Xie Bingxin was Xie Wanying’s pen name. She was one of the most prolific Chinese writers in 20th century China and most of her works were written for young readers. She once told a true story about her mother in the work Laba Congee, which expressed her cherished memory of her deceased mother. Xie recalled that her mother made Laba congee on every eighth day of twelfth lunar month as long as Xie could remember. Her mother told her that Laba congee was originally offered to Buddha in temples and gradually became a folk custom.

By the end of the year, housewives were meant to clean out the pantry and make the remaining beans and berries into sweet porridge for children, which is a very good way of frugality in household management. Bingxin’s natural narratives conveyed her mother’s respect for Chinese traditions.

 

Lao She: Agricultural fair
Lao She’s literary works are known for the use of Beijing dialect. As a member of the Manchu ethnicity, Lao She vividly reflected many elements of Beijing culture and customs in his novels and plays in the 20th century. He also described the customs of how Beijing locals celebrate the Laba Festival in an article The Spring Festival in Beijing. He compared countless beans and various ingredients in Laba porridge as an agricultural fair to emphasize Beijing locals’ enthusiasm for welcoming a new year.