It is a way of celebrating the Laba Festival, or Laba Rice Porridge Festival, one of the traditional Chinese festivals on the eighth day of the 12th month of lunar calendar.According to the Buddhist belief that on this day Sakyamuni became the Buddha thousands years ago, and that is why Buddhist temples observe this festival.That is where the Laba Festival comes from.“La”, a Chinese character, is closely associated with the meaning of offering sacrifices to gods or ancestors, while “Ba” means the number of eight.It's customary on this day to drink the special porridge,usually stewed of at least eight ingredients.With rice as the main ingredient,this porridge maywell contain ingredients like broad beans, red beans, mung beans, red dates,peanuts,chest nuts,both tasty and nutritious.This tradition of making Laba porridge could be tracedback to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), generously extolling the significance of diligence and thrift.Apart from the porridge,there are also traditions of making Laba garlic and Laba noodles in some parts of north China.Perhaps,the most important meaning of Laba is itsloud reminding or counting-down of days to the most important Chinese festival--the Spring Festival. Laba is here, the Spring Festival is at the corner.Customs of Laba Festival1.Eating Laba CongeeThe laba porridge(Congee) is not only a yummy traditional rite in China to mark the laba festival but also a delicacy good for health.Glutinous rice;Red beans;Millets;Chinese sorghum;Lotus seeds;Dates Chestnuts;Walnut;Almonds Peanuts.2.Soaking Laba GarlicAnother custom is the soaking of Laba garlic. Garlic is soaked in vinegar for more than twenty days starting from Laba festival.Then when the Chinese New Year comes, the garlic and vinegar is used alongside jiaozi on the table.3.Eating IceIn some areas, a custom of eating ice is preserved. On the day before Laba festival，people freeze water in a basin, and eat the ice on Laba. It is said the ice had magical effect on Laba. If you eat it, you won't get stomacaches in the coming year.Legend of Laba FestivalAccording to the legend, when Sakyamuni was on his way into the high mountains.Exhausted from days of walking, a shepherdess found him there and fed him her lunch—porridge made with beans and rice. After six years of strict discipline, he finally realized his dream of full enlightenment on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. Ever since, monks have prepared rice porridge on the eve of this date and held a ceremony the following day, during which they chant sutras and offer porridge to Buddha.Thus,the tradition of eating Laba porridge is based in religion, although over time the food itself has become a popular winter dish,especially in cold northern.

2017-01-06 11:22 View：1127

In recent year, Hengyang has implemented the strategy of region-based tourism to adjust agricultural structure and speed up integration of tourism and other industrial sectors, so as to promote economic growth through developing rural tourism.In 2016, the city received 44.21 million visitors in total from home and abroad, with a tourism revenue of 26.5 billion yuan. Among the total, rural tourism accounted for over 20%.The photo taken on March 11, 2017 shows villagers are making flower arrangement at Chashan’ao Town, Zhuhui District, Hengyang City.Source:EnhunanTranslator: Xiao Juan

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A direct flight from Changsha to Moscow will begin operation this April. Passengers can fly to Moscow and then transfer to St. Petersburg, to appreciate Russian sceneries and culture during an eight-day-and-six-night travel.Russian I-FLY Airlines, operator of this flight, held a press conference in Changsha on March 15, to promote this travel route and Russian tourism.The maiden flight will be made on April 6, and regular flight will be operated every Thursday. During the whole trip, tourists will visit famous scenic spots in Moscow, such as Red Square, Alexander Gardens, and Lenin’s Mausoleum, and then take a soft sleeper train to St. Petersburg. They can enjoy Russia’s countryside scenes during their train trip, and after arrival, visit the State Hermitage Museum, Peter the Great's Summer Palace, Ladozhskoye Lake (Lake Ladoga), and other St. Petersburg’s landmarks. Flying back to Moscow, tourists will visit the grand palace in Tsaritsyno. Non-stop flight to Changsha is arranged after that.Enquiry hotline: +86-731-18670912226Translator: Pang Yuehui

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The Huanglong Music Season 2017 raised its curtain in Changsha on March 18, 2017. Two major programs, the International Piano Week and the International Chorus Week, will be staged at Huanglong Cave Scenic Area, Zhangjiajie, in this August and September respectively. Huanglong Music Season, formerly called Huanglong Cave Art Season, was initiated in 2016 as a large music event for performance, contest, and art exchange. The 2016 session included piano, chorus, band, and pop dance performances, attracting nearly 60,000 participants, and setting the highest prize for China art contests. Registration is now open via the Wechat account “zjjhlyyi”. The International Piano Week will open registration until July 10, and be held from August 5 to 11. The contest composes of professional, amateur, teachers, and featured groups. The International Chorus Week will open registration until August 15, and be held in September, consisting of teenage and adult groups. Nearly 400 awards, and an art development subvention of 3.7 million yuan, will be presented.The Huanglong Music Season 2017 inaugurates in Changsha.Xiangyin Women Chorus performs at the inaugurating ceremony.Translator: Pang Yuehui 

2017-03-31 11:14 View：1474

Yueyang Tourism, Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office announced recently that Yueyang won the right to host the opening ceremony of the 2017 Hunan International Tourism Festival. The opening ceremony will be held in this September at Yangsha Lake International Tourism Resort in Xiangyang County.It was reported that this year there were four cities competing for the right to host the Festival. Hunan Provincial Tourism Development Committee had a comprehensive assessment of the candidates’ ability in developing tourism products, local government’s efforts, reception capacity, and experience of holding festivals.Xiangyin County has vigorously promoted the development of tourism. It has built Furong Avenue linking to Changsha, and upgraded its traffic artery. The main body of the first phase of Yangsha Lake International Tourism Resort has been completed, including 36-hole golf international standard stadium, a town based on the culture of fishing and kiln, and happy water world. The tourism report is expected to be open to the public on June 1 this year.The Festival has been successfully held for fourteen sessions. It has become a national well-known tourism festival brand, and an important platform for integrating Hunan tourism resources, promoting tourism products, and enhancing regional tourism exchanges.Translator: Xiao Juan

2017-03-22 11:12 View：1442

As of April 1, an audition called “I am the Best Singer”, selected for 2017 Tongdao Dong Dawuliang Singing Festival will be held in Huangdu Dong Cultural Village, Tongdao Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan.The festival organization committee announced that the best singer will win a chance to stage at the Singing Festival which will be broadcasted on television.Invitation letters have been given out to Dong people and enthusiasts for Dong-nationality songs living in Guangxi, Hunan, and Guizhou and other places across the globe.Every year, the 18th day before the Beginning of Summer (solar term) in the Chinese lunar calendar is called “Dawu”. On the special occasion, young people living in the border areas of Hunan, Guangxi and Guizhou dress up to attend a singing (in antiphonal style) festival on Dawuliang Mountain. After hundreds of years’ development, the festival has evolved into Dong people’s “Valentine's Day”. In 2006, it was listed as the intangible cultural heritage of Hunan Province.The festival will kick off on April 16 and last for three days. Six major events will be arranged, including opening ceremony and gala performances, love song singing (in antiphonal style), intangible cultural heritage exhibition, Hunan-Guangxi-Guizhou folk song performances, and tourism promotion conference.The festival aims to introduce Dong culture and contribute to the deep integration of the development of culture and tourism.Translator: Xiao Juan

2017-03-23 11:11 View：957

The 12th annual Moscow International Travel Fair (Intourmarket-2017) was held at the Crocus Expo International Exhibition Centre in Moscow from March 11 to 13, 2017.The Hunan Provincial Tourism Development Committee brought 12 people from eight exhibitors to showcase Hunan tourism. Hunan had the largest number of booths and participants of the 13 Chinese provinces, autonomous region or municipalities that attended.During the 3-day event, more than 50,000 people visited Hunan’s booths. More than 12,000 copies of Hunan tourism publicity materials were given out. This is a new step in Hunan’s promotion of itself to the world as a tourist destination.Intourmarket-2017 is the most influential tourism event in CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries. It attracted 93 countries and Russian regions.Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Vitaly Mutko, Head of the Federal Agency for Tourism, Oleg Safonov, and other guests attended the opening ceremony and visited Hunan’s booths.On the morning of March 11, Director of the Russian Office of the China National Tourism Administration, Zhao Hongqing, visited Hunan’s booths and commented. Tourism sector Directors of Russian regions and the CIS countries exchanged views with Hunan exhibitors.On the afternoon of March 11, the Hunan delegation met with Deputy Director of the Federal Agency for Tourism, and held an in-depth discussion on red tourism (Revolutionary site tourism) cooperation between Hunan and Russia. The Hunan delegation also exchanged views on red tourism with a delegation led by Ulyanovsk Oblast (an administrative division or region in Russia) Governor Sergei Morozov. They exchanged gifts. Ulyanovsk Oblast, birthplace of Lenin, established a sister-province tie with Hunan.Translator: Xiao Juan

2017-04-01 11:09 View：1538

On March 13, Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan district is full of pear flowers, which attracts many visitors to enjoy the spring scenery.Translated by Sophia

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On March 15, Wulingyuan Huanglong hole is a piece of golden ecological square. More than 20 mu rape flowers are so charming,which welcomes an endless stream. As we have learned, Huanglong hole rape blossom will continue to open to the end of March. The weeping willows also climb up to the branches. Purple flowers, camellia will open in succession. In order to promote the scenic spot service, the scenic spot has arranged a few tujia girl in costumes every day for free taking photos with the visitors as a souvenir.Translated by Sophia

2017-03-18 11:06 View：1074

In March, Spring scenery is beautiful, which attracts many visitors. On March 27th morning, in the world natural heritage Zhangjiajie Baofeng lake, tourists from all over the world with the bright sunshine enjoys picturesque drunken beautiful lake scenery. As we have learned, along with the continuous wet weather coming to an end, Baofeng lake welcomes a lot of visitors on spring outing trip.Baofeng lake spring scenery is alone good, which is surrounded by mountains and flowers, colorful and gorgeous, even the surface reflection is also very charming. Folk song and enthusiastic and the interpretation of the tour guide fly out of the original ecological folk, which lets people know Zhangjiajie tour humanities landscape.As the hot tourist season approaching, the scenic area will increase the intensity of the high-quality service, efforts to promote tourism management level, ensure that the masses of tourists satisfaction in Zhangjiajie.Translated by Sophia

2017-03-30 11:04 View：1127