Animals in Yunnan enjoy delicacies on Laba eve

Animals in the Yunnan Wildlife Park enjoyed special delicacies on January 19, the eve of the Laba Festival, which falls on the eighth day of the 12th month of the lunar Chinese calendar (Jan. 20 this year).

Celebrated animals in the park, including raccoons, orangutans, red pandas and zebras, got their festive meals one after another. And they all enjoyed the Laba treat immensely. 

“For the coming Laba Festival, we have grapes and nuts for monkeys, fruits and porridge for raccoons, and grass and vegetables for zebras,” said a staff member with the Kunming-based wildlife park. 

As the prelude to Spring Festival, the Laba meal for Chinese folks features a congee containing eight ingredients: glutinous rice, red beans, millet, and more. In China, origin of the Laba festival can be traced back to the Buddhist legend, where Sakyamuni was saved by a girl who gave him a bowl of milk on the day he attained nirvana.

Reporting by Li Zha (Yunnan Daily); Trans-editing by Wang Shixue