Border Checkpoint Celebrates Laba Festival with Heartwarming Porridge Tradition

Byline: Ma Ning and Yuan Qiang

CHANGCHUAN BORDER CHECKPOINT, Jilin — “Happy Laba Festival! This is freshly made porridge—please have some while it’s hot!” On January 26, the traditional Laba Festival, officers at the Changchuan Border Checkpoint in Baishan, Jilin, carried pots of steaming porridge to their duty station, offering seasonal greetings and blessings for safety to passengers and drivers passing through. The gesture spread warmth along the chilly border, highlighting the close bond between police and residents.

Inside the checkpoint, the aroma of porghum filled the air early in the morning. Officers had prepared glutinous rice, red beans, dates, lotus seeds, and other ingredients in advance. After thorough cleaning and teamwork, they simmered the ingredients into fragrant Laba porridge. To accommodate different tastes, sweet and savory versions were prepared—the sweet symbolizing “abundant harvest and a happy life,” while the savory catered to local preferences. Each bowl was served with thoughtful care.

“I’ve been driving long-distance for over a decade, but this is the first time I’ve had Laba porridge at a border checkpoint. It warms my body and brings hearts closer,” said Mr. Wang, a truck driver from Qingdao, Shandong, holding a bowl of porghum. As someone who frequently travels through border areas, he described feeling a sense of home in that moment, as if the weariness of the journey had faded with the porridge’s fragrance.

Against the backdrop of rising steam, police badges and the smiles of travelers reflected one another. This bowl of porridge, delivered across mountainous terrain, not only conveyed wishes for a prosperous new year but also embodied the deep, fluid bond between border officers and the people—a moving and enduring scene on the winter frontier.