By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin
The 21st “2012 Pingtung County Dragon Boat Competition,” integrated with the Black Marlin Cultural Tourism Season, will be held on June 22–23 on the Donggang River. This year, over 39 teams and more than 1,000 participants have registered. In addition to the NT$200,000 first prize for the men’s open category, NT$100,000 for the women’s open category, and NT$70,000 for the government/organization category, the total prize money amounts to NT$900,000.
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The dragon boats about to compete undergo a traditional eye-dotting ceremony to pray for a successful event. (Photo source / Pingtung County – Department of Tourism and Communications)
This year’s Pingtung County Dragon Boat Competition will be held on the Donggang River on June 22–23. In recent years, the dragon boat races have been combined with the Black Marlin Cultural Tourism Season, leading to gradually expanding scale. This year, over 1,000 participants will compete, with a total prize pool of NT$900,000. In addition to the men’s and women’s open categories, there are also high school and middle school divisions for both genders, with first prizes of NT$30,000 and NT$20,000 respectively.
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A traditional eye-dotting ceremony follows ancient rites, helping preserve cultural heritage. (Photo source / Pingtung County – Department of Tourism and Communications)
Among the 39 competing dragon boats, eight were commissioned by local groups and residents in the Donggang area years ago and built by master shipwright Hong Quanrui. Following tradition, Pingtung County held an eye-dotting ceremony for the eight boats on the 9th. Under the guidance of ritual masters, cinnabar was applied to ten specific parts of each boat — the forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, dragon body, and tail — completing the ceremony.
● Read more: “The First Tuna” Has Arrived at Port: Pingtung Black Marlin Cultural Tourism Season Kicks Off on May 5
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