About 6,600 people lined up for Laba congee, which is believed to bring good luck in the New Year, at Yonghegong Lama Temple in the early morning in Beijing on Jan. 24. The day marks the Laba Festival, a traditional Chinese festival held on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month.

An employee at the temple disclosed that they prepared the congee with more than 2,500 kilograms of ingredients, including rice, nuts, and various dried fruits.

Congee distribution has been a tradition of the temple for a long time. Some believe the porridge confers Buddha’s blessings.