Dragon Boats are awakened, or given life, during the traditional Dotting of the Eye ceremony. Bright, colorful headpieces adorned with peacock feathers are placed on the dragon's head, and vermilion paint, mixed with the blood of a brown chicken, is dabbed on the dragon's forehead for courage. The priest then rings a bell with one hand, while using the other hand to stab a fu zhou with his sword. The fu zhou is inscribed with magic words that are chanted by the priest while he blesses the head, the tail, and the drum with the sword. An invited guest of the community is given the honor of dotting the eyes with red paint to give the dragon sight. Finally a handful of buckwheat is thrown into the boat to give it speed and good luck. The boats are now ready for the approaching races.
Just as there are rituals to awaken the boats, so are there rituals to put them back to sleep. After the races, when the festival is over, the head, tail, and drum are removed from the boats. Then, with flags rolled up, the boats are paddled in silence and stored in either a temple or a place agreed upon by the community. The body of the boat is traditionally covered with sand or stored on racks that are covered with tinfoil in the shape of roofs. In return for their hard work and commitment to the dragon boat festival, some communities believe they will be awarded with a prosperous year and will be protected from unwelcome water spirits.¹
¹ Barker, Pat. Dragon Boats: A Celebration.
Vancouver: Raincoast Book Distribution Ltd., 1996. p15.
