The ear-splitting sound of firecrackers, gongs and drums rang out along the shores of the Keelung River yesterday during the "eye opening" ceremony for the upcoming annual international dragon boat championship in Taipei.
The three-day competition, which will take place between June 9 and June 11, is part of the Taipei City Government-sponsored celebration activities for the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, or June 6 according to the Gregorian calendar this year.
Speaking to a group of 14 participating teams and hundreds of spectators, Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
"Dragons are unique creatures in Chinese culture. Once their eyes are painted, they're infused with life and look as if they're ready to take to the sky," Ma said. "Today's ceremony of painting the eyes on the dragon boats is like opening a door to triumph with a golden key. We hope with the touch of red ink, the eyes of the dragon boats will be open, and they will lead the participants to victory."
Yesterday afternoon's ceremony at the Tachia Park (
The six-year-old drummer, Wang Sheng-yang (
The ritual master offered prayers, incense, flowers, fruit, and wine to the god of water, Shui Hsien-wang (
Fourteen municipal officers, including Taipei Deputy Mayor Ou Chin-der (歐晉德), Taipei Cultural Affairs Bureau director Lung Ying-tai (龍應台), and Tapei Education Bureau director David Lee (李錫津), then used red ink and Chinese brushes to paint eyes on the dragon boats while paper money was burned, firecrackers were lit, and traditional Chinese music was played.
Nobody knows how to win the race better than Chen Fu-ming (
Ingrid Jensen, from the US, and team captain for the Mandarin Training Center (
"We've been training on land for a month, and for two weeks on water. I think our hard work will pay off," she said.
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