Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

To herald the start of the 2010 Taipei International Dragon Boat Festival, Mayor Hau Lung-bin partook in the dragon boat eye-painting ceremony held on May 29 at Qu Yuan Temple – the only temple in Taiwan dedicated to the legendary poet.
Serving as the ceremony’s head official, Hau remarked that the eye-drawing ceremony and the dragon boat competition have become important cultural events for the City. He hopes that the Dragon Boat Festival will continue to take place every year, providing a chance for locals to celebrate and attracting international tourists to Taipei.
According to Hau, the Qu Yuan Temple in Zhoumei Borough is a temple with significant historical values, while the ceremony of painting the dragon’s eye on the dragon boat is an important ceremony with both historical and cultural values for the City.
Regarding the upcoming competition, the mayor announced that 213 international teams have signed up for the dragon boat race, including groups from Philippines, South Africa, and Singapore. He noted that this is a great opportunity for our international friends to experience the beauty of Taipei’s culture and demonstrate the improvement of Tamsui River’s water quality.
The eye-painting ceremony was moved from Zhoumei wharf to the temple grounds due to poor weather conditions.
This year’s dragon boat competition will take place between June 11 and 13 at the Dajia Section of the Keelung River.