Saturday was the eighth day of the 12th lunar month on the traditional Chinese calendar. It was also the Laba Festival, which marks the official start of the Spring Festival.
Chinese celebrate the day by eating Laba porridge, which is made with rice, nuts, cereal and dried fruit. People in Shanghai got up early to line up outside restaurants, waiting for a bowl of the steaming porridge. Millions of housewives also rose early to prepare the treat.
Eating porridge on Laba is believed to bring good fortune in the New Year.